On Saturday 10 October we threw open our doors and welcomed Centre Stage Members and supporters to a special Curtain Up Quiz hosted by Artistic Director Rob Hastie. It was brilliant to host our first event back, and we wanted to tell you about what it’s like to visit us.
Providing a warm and safe welcome has been at the heart of our planning. New measures to make the Crucible Covid-secure mean that you’re provided with an arrival time in advance to help manage the number of people coming into the building at one time. On arrival you’re greeted by a member of our team who will check your temperature. All tickets are electronic and are emailed in advance and we use a scanner to read the unique barcode on the ticket – it even works on your phone so no more scrambling about trying to find which pocket you put your tickets into! Our team are on hand to guide you through each of these steps safely, socially distanced, and with a smile.
I’d feel safe coming back tomorrow!
Once inside the foyer, with its famous multi-coloured carpet, there are handy signs guiding you through specific doors to the auditorium depending on where you're seated. This means you can get to your seat quicker and don’t have to worry about being stuck in a long queue waiting to get in. The bar isn’t open, but you can bring your own non-alcoholic drinks in with you, plus Ego Restaurant and Bar is only two minutes away, across the square, and is serving a pre-theatre menu.
Saturday’s Curtain Up Quiz featured questions on previous Sheffield Theatres productions, costumes and props, plus a speed music round, led by composer and lyricist Richard Taylor. Looking back across our glorious past productions was the perfect way to open the theatre again after our period of closure.
And now, we look forward to the events of the Together Season! The season starts with the world premiere of Utopia Theatre’s Here’s What She Said to Me, as well as the return of Operation Crucible marking 80 years since the Sheffield Blitz. There’s the wonderful Talking Heads, and the moving Far Gone. You can also look forward to buckets of festive cheer with Damian’s Pop-up Panto featuring Legend Damian Williams! All events are being presented in a socially distanced format and are on sale now. We are really looking forward to our next events, welcoming more audiences into the theatre, to experience more incredible work on stage. We hope to see you there!
It felt safe, covid-secure, well-organised with staggered entry and exit without it being too 'sterile'. All the staff, as usual, were professional and efficient whilst at the same time relaxed and welcoming. Just great to be back. Well done to you all and thank you!
