Hello!
We are looking forward to welcoming you to Curve for our Relaxed Performance of Matilda. We hope you are excited to see the show!
This pack is designed to give you a bit more information about the performance and our theatre ahead of your visit.
What is a Relaxed Performance?
Relaxed Performances are open to everyone but are especially tailored to support audiences who may benefit from a more relaxed performance environment. This may include individuals with neurodivergence, such as autism, learning difficulties and other sensory or communication needs.
At this performance, we will be keeping the house lights on at a low level, and the Studio Theatre doors will remain open should you wish to leave the performance at any time. We have a designated, Chill Space in Rehearsal Room 2, which you are welcome to use before, during or after the performance.
We also have our Black History Month Community Day taking place on this day, meaning the building will be quite noisy and busy. You can find out more about this on page 11.
Although this is described as a Relaxed performance for the reasons mentioned above, please note there will be no sensory adaptations to the production,
meaning there will be moments throughout the show where there will be audience interaction with some surprises, flashing lights and the noise levels will be moderate including songs and amplified voices. For more information about the sensory aspects of this performance, please see pages 19 - 24 of this pack.
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Getting to Curve
Our address is Curve, 60 Rutland Street, Leicester, LE1 1SB.
Here is a map of where Curve is in the Cultural Quarter, and the surrounding area.
Due to some ongoing building maintenance work at Curve, there are currently road closures in place around our theatre – these are indicated by the red triangles on the map.
Getting here by Car
There are a number of car parks close to Curve, with the multi-storey NCP Rutland Centre Car Park being the closest to our Theatre. Customers are advised that none of the car parks detailed on this page are owned or managed by Curve or Leicester Theatre Trust Ltd.
NCP Rutland Centre Car Park (Multi-storey)
56 Halford Street, Leicester, LE1 1TQ
Access Spaces: 7 | Max Height: 1.93m
Curve visitors can park in the NCP Rutland Centre adjacent to Curve for £7.95 when validated at Box Office, Green Room Café or Stage Door Bar during your visit.
If parking at NCP Rutland Centre between the hours of 5pm and 2am, you can access a cheaper rate of £5.95 if you pay via the NCP ParkPass App, or £6.95 if you pay your parking at the machines located in the NCP on the day.
Southampton Street
Leicester, LE1 1TG
Access Spaces: 4
Hourly charges from £1*
NCP Lee Circle Car Park
Leicester, LE1 3RE
Access Spaces: 4 | Max Height: 1.93m
Hourly charges from £1.95*
Dover Street
Leicester, LE1 6PW
Access Spaces: 14 | Max Height 1.98m
Hourly charges from £2*
Haymarket
Leicester, LE1 3YT
Access Spaces: 5
Hourly charges from £2*
Newarke Street
Leicester, LE1 5SN
Access Spaces: 1
Hourly charges from £2*
Highcross John Lewis Car Park
Leicester, LE1 4QJ
Access Spaces: 109 | Family Spaces:
56 | Max Height, 1.98m
Hourly charges from £3.50*, plus flat evening rate of £2.50* between 5pm and 6am.
There is also a drop-off point outside our theatre. *Prices subject to change.
Getting here by Bus
All Leicestershire bus services have stops within a three to 10-minute walk of Curve, with services terminating on Humberstone Gate, Haymarket Bus Station or St Margaret’s Bus Station.
For more information about travelling by bus in the city, visit www.leicester.gov.uk/transport-and-streets/travelling-by-bus, or call Traveline on 0871 200 2233.
Hop! Free City Centre Circular Bus Service
Hop! shuttle buses are free to use and serve Leicester City Centre, looping in an anti-clockwise between Haymarket Bus Station, Highcross, Jubilee Square, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Railway Station and the Market.
Part of the greenlines electric network, the service also links with the Hospital Hopper service at Royal Infirmary and St Nicholas Circle, Meynell’s Gorse and Enderby Park & Ride at St Nicholas Circle, and Birstall Park & Ride at Savoy Street.
The nearest Hop! stop to Curve is Stand CK on Charles Street, circled in red on the map overleaf. The service operates every 10 minutes, Monday – Saturday between 8am and 6pm.
For more information about Hop!, including a service leaflet and larger route map, visit leicesterbuses.co.uk/hop. A route map is also provided on the next page.
Getting here by Train
Leicester Train Station is less than a 10-minute walk away via Charles Street. For the latest service information, please visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Visual Story: Your Visit to Curve
Curve is a large, round building with a glass front, as shown below. The outside of Curve usually looks like this:
Halford Street Entrance
Rutland Street Entrance
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There are two main entrances into the building – Halford Street, by our Green Room Café, and Rutland Street, by our Box Office. Both entrances have a set of glass double doors.
Halford Street Rutland Street
The doors will open outwards automatically as you move towards them. There is level access into the building from both entrances.
When you enter the building, you will be in the Foyer. Our Foyer is one big circle which wraps around two of our performance spaces – the Theatre and the Studio Theatre. As you make your way around the Foyer, you will notice lots of large pictures on the big red walls. This is our production gallery, and features pictures from our previous productions.
In addition, there are large digital screens displaying upcoming shows and events throughout the building.
A number of automatic hand sanitiser points are available around the building. To use these points, simply hold your hand beneath the dispenser.
Push dispensers are also available around the building.
Before the show, there will be some loud announcements in the Foyer telling you how long it is until the show begins, and other useful information about your visit.
It may also be noisy in the Foyer as other audience members will be arriving to see the show. We also have our Black History Month Community Day taking place throughout Curve, meaning the building may get a little busier than usual. We have many exciting performances and activities taking place during the day that you may want to get involved with around the performance. Please note, there will be drumming taking place around the building from 1.15pm – 4pm, so it will be quite noisy. You might like to cover your ears or wear a pair of ear defenders during this time. A limited number of ear defenders are available at Reception, if you would like to borrow some.
Here is a map of the Ground Floor of Curve.
In the Foyer inside the Rutland Street doors, you will find our Box Office.
Car parking tickets for cars parked in the NCP Rutland Centre Multi-storey Car Park next door to Curve can be validated at the Box Office for £7.95. Ticket enquiries for this performance and future shows at Curve can also be made here.
In the Foyer you will also find our Green Room Café.
Here you can buy a drink, snack or ice cream to enjoy before the performance.
There may be a small queue at the Café.
If you need to use the toilet before you take your seats, there are male, female and accessible toilets near the Green Room Café and Box Office. There are also gender-neutral toilets on the Mezzanine floor.
There is a Changing Places Facility with adult hoist on the Ground Floor next to Theatre Door 4. Please note you will need to bring your own hoist straps to use this facility.
All ground floor accessible toilets including our Changing Places facility, as well as our male and female toilets close to the Green Room Café will be sensory adapted, meaning the hand dryers will be switched off and paper towels will be provided.
You will be watching Matilda in our Theatre, which has new red seating as shown in the picture below.
This is where you will sit to watch the performance.
Your ticket will tell you if you are sitting in the Stalls (Ground Floor, enter through Theatre Doors 3 or 4) or in the Circle (Mezzanine floor, enter through Theatre Doors 8 or 9). Your ticket will also mention which door to enter through and where to sit.
A member of our Visitor Experience Team can help you find the right door and your seat by looking at the letters and numbers on your ticket. They will be wearing black shirts with a colourful Curve logo. They will scan your ticket with a small machine as you enter the Theatre. There might be a small queue as other audience members take their seats.
If you are sitting in the Stalls, you may need to take further steps to get to your seat.
If you are sitting on Row A, B or C in the front Stalls, you will need to take up to three small downward steps down to access your seat, with one step between each row.
If you are sitting on Rows P - Y in the rear Stalls, there are 10 upward steps from where you enter though Theatre Doors 3 or 4 to Row Y at the back of the Stalls, with one step between each row.
If you are sitting in the Circle, you may also need to take further steps to get to your seat. There are 22 upward steps from where you enter through Theatre Doors 8 or 9 to Row H at the back of the Circle, with two steps between each row.
If you are sitting on Row BB in the Stalls or the Circle, you will need to take two upward steps to access your seat.
If you are sitting on the Row H balcony in the Circle, you will need to enter through Theatre Door 11. Please speak to a member of our Visitor Experience Team, who can help you access the Theatre via this door.
When you enter the Theatre, the lights will be on. You will need to pull the bottom of your seat down to sit on it.
It might be loud in the Theatre during this time, as other audience members take their seats.
Booster seats are available if you can’t see the stage comfortably, and a member of our Visitor Experience Team can get one for you.
They will also be happy to help you with anything else you may need to enjoy the performance.
When the show is about to start, the lights in the Theatre will be dimmed but it will never go completely dark. They will remain on at a low-level throughout the performance.
Whilst the inner doors to the Theatre will close, the outer doors will remain open throughout so you can leave the space if you need to use the toilet or take a break from the show. You can re-enter when you’re ready.
Should you wish to take a break from the performance, you are welcome to take a seat in the Foyer, or visit our Mezzanine where you will find further seating. Our Mezzanine is available before, during and after the performance for anyone wishing to take a few moments in a quieter, less busy area of our theatre. A member of our Visitor Experience Team can show you the best route to the Mezzanine, depending on whether you prefer to take a lift or stairs.
When the show is about to start, the lights in the Theatre will be dimmed but it will never go completely dark. They will remain on at a low-level throughout the performance.
The space will become quiet, so the audience can listen to the story and music.
Whilst the inner doors to the Theatre will close, the outer doors will remain open throughout so you can leave the space if you need to use the toilet or take a break from the show. You can re-enter when you’re ready.
If you would like a break from the performance, you might like to visit our Chill Space in Rehearsal Room 2. Everyone is welcome to visit our Chill Space before, during or after the performance.
When the show has finished, the cast will come back onto the stage and bow. The audience will clap to show the cast they enjoyed the performance. It may be quite loud during this moment.
At the end of the show, the lights will get brighter again. You can leave the Theatre when you are ready.
The running time for Matilda is 2 hours and 35 minutes with a 20 minute interval.
The performance is recommended for audience members aged 6+.
There will be different lighting throughout the show, with some moments in bright lighting and others in darker lighting.
During moments of audience interaction, the lights will become brighter so the characters can see you!
Matilda is a musical based on a book called Matilda by Roald Dahl.
Points to highlight
• Matilda tells a story about an escapologist and an acrobat that can be upsetting. Sometimes Matilda talks about them, sometimes you see them played by actors, sometimes they’re projected onto a cloth. Matilda also plays a part in one scene.
• Miss Trunchbull punishes children in a room called the ‘chokey.’ Miss Trunchbull also has a whistle which she uses a couple of times.
• There are balloons on stage which are popped by the actors.
• In one scene a child appears to drop from the ceiling. Don’t worry, this is a puppet and not a real child.
• At the end of Act 1, there are flashing lights during the final number.
• After the interval, the actors will come on stage for interval entertainment, so if you arrive and they are there, don’t worry, you’re not late.
• In the second act, children swing on swings high into the air. Please don’t worry, they are safe and have rehearsed many times.
• There are a few moments throughout Act 2 with flashing lights and loud sound effects. For more detail on this, do speak to a member of the Front of House team.
• Towards the end, actors dressed as Russian gangsters come onto the stage with Russian accents and appear quite violent.
