Find us

The Criterion is on Piccadilly Circus south-east side, by The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain (Eros). The theatre entrance faces the statue.

Piccadilly Circus tube station, exit 4, brings you to the front of the theatre.

Getting here

Arriving by Tube

  • Piccadilly Circus (1 minute walk) - Piccadilly Line and Bakerloo Line
  • Leicester Square (Approx 10 minute walk) - Piccadilly Line and Northern Line
  • Green Park (Approx 10 minute walk) - Piccadilly Line and Victoria Line. This station has step free access to street level.

Arriving by bus

Regent street/St James - outside Tesco
12, 88, 94, 453, N3, N15

Regent Street/ St James  - outside Tesco
6, 9, 139, 159, N9, N18, N97, N109, N136

Haymarket/ Jermyn Street R - outside TigerTiger
6, 9, 139, N9, N15, N13

Driving

There is limited street parking around the area with pay and display charges.  Please note that resident parking bays are not available for visitor parking.  The Congestion Charge is currently operational Monday to Sunday 7am - 10pm, including Bank Holidays.

The nearest car park is:

Q-Park Leicester Square
Whitcomb Street
London WC2H 7DT

The Society of London Theatres and Q-Park offer a discounted Theatreland  parking scheme offering 50% discount.  Details of participating car parks and how to obtain the discount are available via the website:

Society of London Theatre (q-park.co.uk)

Please note: book your parking in advance of your visit to qualify for the discounted rate.

 

 

Accessibility

Our staff are available to assist you during your visit.  If you cannot find the information you require here or if you would like help in planning your visit, please contact our box office team on 0207 839 8811 or via email to [email protected] 

 

Access Performances for Titanique:

Sunday 9th February 3.00pm 

AUDIO DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE Facilitated by VocalEyes

If you are already registered with us online and have selected 'I am an audio description user'you will be able to select the best available seats from the seating plan and receive the discounted access rate. The best seats will appear as stars.

For further information and assistance on booking please contact our box office on 020 7839 8811  [email protected]

 

Saturday 15th February 3.00pm 

CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE Captions are similar to television subtitles and give people who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing access to live performance.

The caption boards will be on either side of the stage at Dress Circle height, the best view will be Dress Circle.

If you are registered with us online and have selected ‘I am a captioning user’, you will be able to select the best available seats from the seating plan and receive the discounted access rate. The best seats will appear as stars.

For further information and assistance on booking please contact our box office on 020 7839 8811  [email protected]

 

Saturday 1st March 7.30pm

BSL INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE. There will be a BSL Interpreter on a raised platform at the front of the auditorium on the right. The optimum seats for viewing are also on the right hand side of the auditorium.

If you are registered with us online and have selected ‘I am a British Sign Language user’, you will be able to select the best available seats from the seating plan and receive the discounted access rate. The best seats will appear as stars.

For further information and assistance on booking please contact our box office on 020 7839 8811  [email protected]

 

Hearing Systems

Box Office/Foyer

There is an induction loop system available in the foyer for the Box Office.

Auditorium

We have a Sennheiser infra-red hearing system that works in all part of the auditorium, although the signal is strongest when you are sitting in full sight of the Sennheiser emitters. It is advisable to discuss with Box Office prior to booking to ensure you are able to have the best experience.

How To Use

Upon arrival let any of our Front of House team know that you would like to use the Sennhesier system. We then have two options available to you;

1) A Sennheiser receiver that you would use alongside your hearing aid. Switch your hearing aid to the T position, and then wear the receiver necklace to enable the system to communicate with your hearing aids. You have adjustable volume control and the staff member will ensure it is set to the correct channel for you.

2) A Sennheiser in ear headset, with no hearing aid required. The headset should face forward to be able to receive the full signal and not be covered by anything such as scarves/ties/necklaces. You have adjustable volume control and the headset will automatically find the correct channel for you.

In the unlikely event that you should experience any problems with using your Sennhesier system please let any member of the Front of House team know and they will be happy to assist you.

In line with  safety protocols all headsets and receivers are sanitised prior and after customer use.

Assistance dogs

Assistance dogs are welcome. For ease of access and comfort, we recommend purchasing a seat on the end of a row or in a box.  Alternatively we can provide a dog sitting service during the performance.  Please contact the Theatre Manager on 0207 839 8811 or at [email protected] for further information.

WCs

There is one accessible lavatory on the Upper Circle, with step free access from Jermyn Street.

Additional facilities are available on Dress Circle level.

Booking Tickets

Please contact our box office team directly on 0207 839 8811 or on [email protected] to make your booking.  Our team will ensure you are booked into the best available seats for your requirements.  Access rate tickets are available for the access patron and one companion ticket.

For in person bookings, we have step free access to our foyer box office with a low level counter.

Limited Mobility

The auditorium is situated below street level with step free access only available to the Upper Circle.  Dress Circle is one further level down and the Stalls three levels below Jermyn Street level, and four floors below Piccadilly Circus.  Via the main entrance stairway there are 23 steps down to the Upper Circle, 32 steps down to the Dress Circle and 54 steps to the Stalls.  Unfortunately we do not currently have a lift facility in the Grade II listed building.  We can offer alternative access via our fire exit stairways to all levels via Jermyn Street upon request.  Although there are still steps they are reduced and are not part of the ornate curved stairway of our main entrance. Please speak to a member of our front of house team on arrival or contact us on 020 7839 8811 in advance of your visit.

Bars, Confectionery and Merchandise

Our bars are situated on the Dress Circle and Stalls auditorium levels.  Drinks may be taken into the auditorium and our staff can offer assistance purchasing beverages if customers are unable to access the bar areas.  You can also pre-order via our CrowdEngage pre-show text sent out on the day of your booking to pre-order for at seat service.

Parking

For information about blue badge parking in Westminster please visit www.parkingforbluebadges.com 

Our nearest Q-Park car park is at Whitcombe Street, Leicester Square.  

The Society of London Theatres and Q-Park offer a discounted Theatreland  parking scheme offering 50% discount.  Details of participating car parks and how to obtain the discount are available via the website:

Society of London Theatre (q-park.co.uk)

Please note: book your parking in advance of your visit to qualify for the discounted rate.

 

Facilities

If you have any queries which are not answered here please contact us by email to [email protected] or on 020 7839 8811.

Security

Please note that bag checks are carried out for all patrons prior to their entry into the Foyer/Box Office. We would advise patrons to arrive no later than 15 minutes prior to the performance start time to allow for the extra security checks.  

If you are bringing a group with you please ensure that all members of your group are aware of the bag check procedure and the recommended time to arrive to the theatre.

We very much appreciate patrons having their bags open as they reach our bag check staff member as it significantly speeds up the process for everyone involved.

We are not able to accommodate large bags or suitcases and advise patrons to bring with them only essential, handbag size, bags.

Only valid ticket holders will be admitted to the theatre.

Please note that we do not allow any hot food or alcohol purchased outside of the venue into the theatre. If you have alcohol with you these items can be kept at the Box Office for the duration of the performance and collected as you leave. Please make the staff member conducting the bag checks aware.

 

Late comers

Specific points where we can admit latecomers to the auditorium are determined for each production on when there is a suitable break which will minimise disruption to both the performers and the seated patrons.  Information on latecomers policy is available on the specific production page on this website.  We cannot guarantee admittance to latecomers who arrive after the official late comers point, you may be asked to wait until the interval or be taken to alternative seats at the back of the auditorium, if they are available, to avoid disturbing other patrons.
 

Parking discount

If you’re driving into the West End to see a show, take advantage of Q-Park’s Theatreland Parking Scheme saving 50% off off-street car parking charges.

Details of participating car parks and how to obtain the discount are available via the website:

Society of London Theatre (q-park.co.uk)

Please note: book your parking in advance of your visit to qualify for the discounted rate.

Cloakroom

We have very limited cloakroom space at the theatre, consequently we are unable to accommodate large bags or suitcases and advise patrons to bring with them only essential, handbag size, bags.  The charge for depositing small items is £1.00 per item.  

If you have a bag larger than a small rucksack, even carry on sized suitcase, you will need to use one of the local storage companies.  There are numerous places close to the theatre.  Look here: Luggage Piccadilly Circus

 

Lost & found

If you believe you have accidentally left something at the theatre, please contact Stage Door on 0207 839 8811 or email [email protected]. A log is kept of any item found at the end of each performance and it is stored in the theatre for 6 weeks. If you are unable to collect the item from the theatre after contacting Stage Door, postage of the item can be arranged. This may be subject to a postage fee.

 

Hospitality

Due to the current change in the way we are managing our bars and front of house spaces we regret that our hospitality packages are temporarily unavailable.  If you have any requests or enquiries please contact our Theatre Managers at [email protected]

  

Food and Drink

 

 

Click & Collect Service. We offer a Click & Collect service for bar orders.  Customers seated in the Stalls and Dress Circle may pick up their orders from the Lord Attenborough Bar on the Dress Circle Level.  Customers in the Upper Circle should collect from the Upper Circle Level.  Your order will be made up after your ticket has been scanned in the foyer so please allow five minutes before going to the collection point.

Bar Service  You will be able to purchase from the Lord Attenborough Bar on the Dress Circle Level and the Bourne Bar on Stalls Level, but to avoid queuing we would encourage use of the Click & Collect service

You can pre-order for Click &Collect via our CrowdEngage pre-show text sent out on the day of the performance.  Please ask a member of staff if you require assistance.

Please note all drinks are served in recyclable plastic glasses, including champagne.

Merchandise & Programmes

Merchandise can be purchased via the bars or click & collect service.  If ordering via click & collect please speak to a member of staff for collection. 

Seating & Views & Ticketing

The auditorium was built in 1874 and consequently has a number of pillars.

The extent of restriction or view limitation will vary depending on a production’s direction and set design. For specific ticket banding, prices and information on restricted view seats please refer to the individual production booking page.

In consultation with the producer and creative team, we check the view from all seats for each new production and set ticket prices accordingly.

Ticketing:   We operate with digital tickets

A confirmation email will be sent once your purchase is completed.  Your eTicket will be emailed a week prior to the performance (or immediately if you have booked within a week).  We will send a reminder eTicket by text to your mobile phone on the morning of the booked performance.

If you do not have access to email or a smart phone please contact the box office on 0207 839 8811

 
 

Groups

Please contact our box office team for information and rates for group bookings: 020 7839 8811 [email protected]

Local offers

Offers

Hard Rock Café

Enjoy a 3 course meal at the European Flagship Hard Rock Café Piccadilly Circus, book with your tickets to see the show.

See the menu here.

“It's just beautiful”

“An interior to be admired”

“Any seat in the house is a comfy one”

“I laughed so much my jaws ached”

“Less than a minute walk from Piccadilly Circus”

“Great place to see a show!”

“A lovely, intimate atmosphere”

“An utter delight”

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“It's just beautiful”

“An interior to be admired”

“Any seat in the house is a comfy one”

“I laughed so much my jaws ached”

“Less than a minute walk from Piccadilly Circus”

“Great place to see a show!”

“A lovely, intimate atmosphere”

“An utter delight”

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