Hags – Babes in Arms Performance FAQs

Booking is open to new parents, carers or anyone who would like to attend the show in the daytime and doesn’t mind some babies in the audience. It’s also okay to come without children if this is a more suitable time for you, but please be advised of the relaxed context.

This is an adult centred show, with age guidance 11+. Although Hags is a comedy, it is about witches and contains themes of death and violence against women. We have recommended that accompanying children are under 18 months. You will know your child best and the age of the accompanying children are at your discretion.

There is no limit on the number of little ones you bring! You just need to let us know how many you will be bringing when you book your tickets.

Children under 11 are free , although the age of accompanying children for this show is under 18 months (please see content warning). Please tell us how many children will accompany you. Parental discretion around the content of the show is advised, particularly for older children who may have a better understanding of what is happening on stage.

Please be advised that the play mats and toys we will provide are aimed at babies and young toddlers and we are unable to provide entertainment for older children.

The performance will be 2 hours in total. The first half will be 1 hour, the interval will be 20 minutes, and the second half will be 40 minutes.

When you arrive, you will be greeted at the door by our friendly Front of House team. They will show you where to park your buggy if you have one, direct you to any facilities that you require (such as baby changing or toilets), and show you where you can grab a drink and a bite to eat before the show. Our Front of House team will be on hand before, during and after the performance to help you however you need.

The main entrance to the theatre has level access and there will be a designated buggy park in the Front of House area, which will be supervised by a member of our team at all times. We are unable to accommodate buggies in the auditorium, but car seats placed on seats are fine. If your child is asleep when the performance is about to begin, we recommend transferring them into a baby carrier or sling to bring them into the auditorium with you.

If you need assistance from our Front of House team, for example to carry your bag into the auditorium while you carry your baby in their car seat, please feel empowered to ask – that’s what they’re there for!

We will have two baby changing facilities available on the day of the performance. One baby change is located on the ground floor of the theatre building with the toilets, and is accessible via level access from the entrance. We will also set up a second baby change area in our breakout space located in the lobby of the first floor, just outside the doors to the auditorium. This second baby change area will be the easiest to access if you need to change your baby during the performance.

If you’re looking for a grab and go option for lunch, we’ll have wrapped sausage rolls and spinach and cheese rolls available for £3.75 from our Theatre Café/Bar.

We’ll also be serving hot and cold drinks, as well as a selection of snacks and baked goods from our local suppliers. Grab any coffee with a slice of Cocorico fudgy triple chocolate brownie (gluten-free) for £5.50.

Ice creams will also be on sale in the auditorium during the interval.

You are very welcome to bring from home whatever food and drink your child may need. Hot water will be available from the bar area if you need to heat up food or milk for your child.

You are welcome to take food and drink into the auditorium, but we do ask that no glass or ceramics are taken in.

There will be play mats at the front of the auditorium (in front of the stage), with a selection of toys. There will also be a second soft mat area set up in the breakout space located in the lobby of the first floor, just outside the doors to the auditorium. This breakout area will also include additional baby change facilities and relay of the performance on stage, so you won’t miss a thing if you need to step out.

You will receive a visual story in your pre-show email which will have more information. The visual story will also be available on the website soon.

We know that babies often come with large bags of emergency supplies for all eventualities, so we are selling this show at a reduced capacity and with unreserved seating to allow extra space. If you need help carrying anything, just give our Front of House team a shout and they’ll gladly assist you.

If you need to move around, stand up, leave or come back during the performance, you absolutely can. The auditorium lights will be dimmed for the performance, so you will be able to see to move around if you need to.

Children make noise. Babies cry. It’s normal, natural and to be expected, so when your little one does, please don’t worry! No one will shush you or ask you to leave. We are expecting that there will be heightened levels of noise from the audience, and the actors on stage are perfectly prepared for that too.

Children also make mess – another inescapable fact of life. If your little one spits up or drops some food, don’t panic. Simply let one of our Front of House team know and they will come and assist you however you need us to.

There will be some audience interaction and participation during the show, but the actors will not be picking on audience members or pressuring anyone to do anything they don’t want to do!

On entry you will be given a traffic light sticker to indicate if it’s ok to ask you. We appreciate this may not suit or be possible for everyone.

Throughout the show, the actors will ask a number of willing volunteers to join them on the stage (don’t worry, no one will be asked to do anything embarrassing like singing!). They will ask for a small number of  volunteers to interact from the comfort of their seats.

If you still have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our Box Office team on 01392 72 63 63 or email them on [email protected], and they will do their best to help you.