Alexandra Palace

The Palace stands on a hill in north London, and the last stretch is the part worth planning. Wood Green on the Piccadilly line is the nearest Underground station, around twenty minutes from Piccadilly Circus, and the W3 bus runs from there up to the building — on foot it is a climb of a little under half an hour. Alexandra Palace overground station sits at the foot of the park, with a path up through the grounds. There is parking on site.

Yes, and unusually for a Victorian building the step-free route reaches the Stalls. The theatre is entered through the East Court, which has a sloped step-free approach, and the foyer beyond it is level throughout; from there Stalls rows A to K are reached without steps, and a lift serves Circle Right. Four wheelchair spaces are set aside in the Stalls and one in the Circle. There are two accessible bathrooms at ground level, both with baby-change. Assisted listening headsets can be requested, and a hearing loop is in place at Visitor Services and the box office. Twenty-five Blue Badge spaces sit in the East Court car park, with a taxi and drop-off point outside the main entrance, and wheelchairs can be hired on the day, first come first served.

More choice than most theatres offer, because the theatre is one room inside a very large building. There are bars serving the auditorium, the Phoenix Bar and Pizzeria for something more substantial, and cafés dotted around the site — the East Court, the Grove, the Terrace and the Boathouse by the lake. Opening times vary with what is on, so arriving early is the way to make use of them; the park itself is worth the walk in daylight.