COVID-SAFETY
At Griffin, our priority is delivering the very best new Australian plays. And now that theatres across New South Wales are opening up like colourful spring blossoms, we’re determined to give our audiences the theatre they’ve been craving for the past few months. To ensure the safety, comfort and enjoyment of your theatre experience, we all need to play our part. Which is why we’ve developed a comprehensive COVID-Safe plan in accordance with current government regulations to make sure we can do what we do best—deliver amazing and urgent Australian stories, live on stage.
Have a read of our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about the measures we’re putting in place to ensure a safe grand re-opening. If you’ve still got questions, feel free to reach out to Griffin’s wonderful Box Office team at [email protected], or on (02) 9361 3817.
At Griffin, we’ve faced months of uncertainty, changing plans and moments of resilience, which has meant for the moment at least, we’re being cautious. We’ve chosen to partner with our good friends at the Seymour Centre in Chippendale by hosting Superheroes by Mark Rogers and Wicked Sisters by Alma De Groen at the venue’s Reginald Theatre. Our decision to transport the Griffin spirit across town to the Seymour Centre is to ensure audience and artist comfort. We adore our tiny theatre on Nimrod Street, but it’s a very old and very tiny building (you should see the dressing room!). We hope to be back at the Stables as soon as the time feels right to be staging work in an intimate space, but in the meantime, we think change is as good as a holiday! There will always be a familiar Grif-face at our temporary home of the Seymour Centre to make sure you feel right at home. Plus, we’re working closely with our friends at the Seymour to ensure your theatre experience is a fantastic one!
Visiting the Seymour Centre
Access at the Seymour Centre
While it’s entirely your call as to whether you join us at the theatre, you can rest assured that both Griffin and the Seymour Centre are doing everything we can to ensure your theatre experience is a safe one.
For Griffin, the wellness and comfort of our audience is of utmost importance. During your visit to the Seymour Centre, here’s what you can expect:
Social Distancing
- Seating within the Reginald Theatre will be allocated, rather than Griffin’s usual general admission structure, to ensure everyone is comfortably spaced.
- The Reginald Theatre has an audience capacity of 148; for Superheroes, we’ll be seating approximately 65 people in the auditorium, so that we remain in line with the NSW government’s guideline of maintaining a distance of four square metres between parties.
- A cap of 65 audience members is below the approved capacity for the venue, and we will be evaluating throughout the season to ensure our patrons’ comfort.
- You may also be politely asked to move through the Seymour foyers and not to linger—this is so people can access their allocated seat safely and efficiently.
Face Masks
- Griffin Theatre Company and the Seymour Centre strongly encourage the use of face masks whilst in the venue and during performances. We are dedicated to ensuring the health and safety of everyone who is in attendance at the theatre including our box office teams, creatives and on-stage actors. We politely ask that you help us ensure everyone’s safety with the use of face masks while visiting us.
- A very limited number of single-use face masks will be available at the venue should you have forgotten your own, though we strongly encourage you to bring your own, for sustainability purposes!
Box Office
- Your ticket(s) will be emailed to you in the form of a confirmation email. The Seymour Centre is completely contactless, and won’t have a Box Office in operation onsite.
- Tickets will therefore not be available on the door—make sure to plan ahead for your visit!
- The Reginald Theatre will be open 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the performance—this way, you can get settled in your seat and ensure you maintain social-distancing measures right from the get-go.
- For the peckish amongst us, food and drinks will be available for sale at the Seymour Centre’s kiosk, and can be taken with you into the theatre. In fact, when food and drink is involved, patrons at all venues in NSW are required by law to be seated. You can grab a drink or a nibble, but you will not be able to remain standing as you nosh. Eating’s better sitting down anyway!
Temperature Checks
- A member of staff will check your temperature upon entry to the venue.
- If your temperature is below 37.5 degrees celsius, you are welcome to enter the theatre.
- If your temperature is 37.5 degrees celsius or above, we will ask you to wait outside for ten minutes, then we will re-check your temperature.
- If it is still 37.5 degrees or above, unfortunately we are not permitted to allow you into the theatre, and we will ask you to come back and see the show another time.
Hand Sanitiser
- There are sanitiser stations throughout the Seymour Centre, and we encourage you to use them!
Contact Tracing
- Everyone who visits the Seymour Centre is required by law to register for contact tracing at the door of the venue.
- We will have QR codes at the ready, so you can register with your phone!
- For the luddites among us, paper forms will also available.
- By registering on arrival, you agree to follow our COVID-Safe plan and to follow direction from staff.
- The Seymour Centre is required to hold the names and contact details of all patrons for 28 days. These are held securely and destroyed after 28 days.
By cooperating with the aforementioned requirements of Griffin’s COVID-Safe plan, you can play your role in ensuring that everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience during their visit to the Seymour Centre. By planning ahead, by wearing your face mask, and by remaining diligent about social-distancing within the venue, you can help us comply with government guidelines easily! Also, if you aren’t feeling well on the day of the performance, and are experiencing signs of illness (including a runny nose, a cough, high temperature or are feeling run-down), we’d appreciate it if you stayed home! Simply email a member of the Griffin Box Office at [email protected], or give them a call on (02) 9361 3817, and they’ll happily organise a ticket exchange, credit or refund for you. Your wellness is our priority—if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us!
If you are unable to attend a performance due to illness, we will try and find you a ticket for an alternative performance. Otherwise, we will refund the cost of your ticket, or offer you a Griffin credit.
If you are not ready to come back to the theatre yet, and already have a ticket booked, we are more than happy to offer you a full refund or credit, to stockpile some Griffin goodness for a rainy day down the track. All credit notes are valid for three years, so we’re sure there will be a future show that tickles your theatrical fancy!
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