Milton Keynes Theatre

Milton Keynes Theatre sits at 500 Marlborough Gate in central Milton Keynes, a short hop from the shopping centre and the city's main boulevards. Opened in 1999 and run by ATG Entertainment, it is one of the leading receiving houses in the South East, welcoming West End productions and national tours throughout the year. The programme takes in large-scale musicals, drama, dance and opera, stand-up comedy, family shows and a Christmas pantomime. A clever auditorium design allows the ceiling and seating to be adjusted, so the room can feel grand for a musical or intimate for a play.

The campaign for a purpose-built theatre in Milton Keynes ran for about 25 years before the doors finally opened on 4 October 1999. The result was a large, modern receiving house at the heart of the new city, designed to bring major touring work to an audience that had previously travelled elsewhere for it.

The building was designed by architects Blonski-Heard, working with Kut Nadiadi and Robert Doe. The design used the building techniques and stage equipment of the day, with the aim of handling productions of very different shapes and sizes under one roof.

Its best known feature is the adaptable auditorium. The ceiling can be lowered or raised and the seating repositioned, changing the capacity from around 900 to 1,400 depending on the show. Arup Acoustics tested the effect of the moving ceiling using a 1:50 scale acoustic model, so that intimate drama and full-scale musicals both sound right in the same room.

Ambassador Theatre Group, now ATG Entertainment, was appointed as operator in 1998, a year before opening, and has run the theatre ever since. The programme has settled into a familiar annual rhythm of West End transfers and tours, touring opera and ballet, drama, comedy and a Christmas pantomime.

The theatre aims to make live performance available to everyone, and staff can talk through the options before you book.

• Parking: a limited number of accessible spaces immediately in front of the theatre on Midsummer Boulevard.
• Lifts: lift access to all levels, with voice commentary and tactile aids.
• Step-free rows: Stalls Row E, Circle Row A and Upper Circle Row A are level access, as are both Circle boxes. A detailed guide to the number of steps to each seat is available on request from Stage Door.
• Wheelchair spaces: six in the Stalls and four in the Upper Circle, the latter also suitable for transferring. Both Circle boxes are suitable for wheelchair access.
• Seats: auditorium seats are around 50cm wide with static armrests and 44cm (17 inches) between them. Free-standing seats without armrests are in the Dress Circle boxes and the Upper Circle platforms, which are restricted view.
• Toilets: separate fully accessible male and female facilities on the ground and first floors, and fully accessible facilities for both on the third floor by door 10. Each has an emergency call point. Baby changing is on the ground, first and third floors.
• Bars: the Garden Room and Foyer Bar on the ground floor and both Circle bars have low level counters, and at seat service can be arranged when you arrive.

Assisted performances

audio described performances and touch tours are scheduled through the year and are advertised on the page for each show. For audio description you may sit anywhere in the auditorium, though the Stalls are recommended if you want a closer view of the stage. Hearing support uses the Mobile Connect system, and signed performances are also programmed. A Social Story, produced with the National Autistic Society in Milton Keynes, can be requested from the box office, and visual stories and other resources are listed in the venue's additional resources.

Booking

the free Access Membership Scheme lets you book accessible seats online and, where eligible, an essential companion ticket. Accessibility assistance is available on 0333 009 5399, or via Typetalk on 1800 1 0333 009 5399.