Martyn’s Law checklist for theatres

What to think about

• Auditorium capacity plus cast, crew, FOH and bar staff.
• Interval crowding in bars and foyers is part of the picture.
• Backstage and stage-door access need their own thinking.
• Touring productions bring visiting workers who need briefing.
• Matinee audiences may need more assistance to move quickly.

Procedure focus

What evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication tend to hinge on in theatres.

• Show-stop authority named per production, including visiting companies
• Row-by-row movement for stalls, circle and balcony
• The interval picture: half the house is in the foyer and bar
• PA and from-stage scripts drafted and rehearsed

Common evidence gaps

The process gaps venues in this sector most often need to close — each one fixable, and worth a dated record once it is.

• GapNobody can name who stops the show — or it sits with an unbriefed visiting stage manager
• GapInterval plan covers the auditorium only, not the foyer and bar
• GapStage door propped open for crew and left unstaffed during the show
• GapAccessible evacuation depends on one trained person who is not on every rota
• GapVisiting crew never given the house briefing on get-in days