Female West End theatregoers would need an hour-long interval to all use the loo, according to a new study by The Stage.
Prompted by criticisms of venues’ toilets, the study reveals an average of just one women's toilet for every 38 female audience members – well below the overall average of one toilet for every 26 people, despite women making up 62 per cent of the West End's audiences.
Data was gathered from 42 theatres, not including the five theatres owned by Nimax, which declined to provide information. British Standard sanitary guidelines show that there should be a minimum of 45 women’s toilets in an average-sized West End theatre, but the average actually stands at 25 women’s toilets.
The best ratio of toilets to audience members is at the National Theatre, where there is one for every 13.3 people, closely followed by the Royal Court with one for every 13.6 people.
At the other end, the Criterion, which houses The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, has one toilet for every 39.3 people and the Apollo Victoria, home to Wicked, has one for every 38.2 audience members.
The study also showed that 62 per cent of theatres had only one disabled toilet, with the Ambassadors and Wyndham’s offering none at all.
Additionally, gender neutral toilets have been implemented at some theatres including the National Theatre and Royal Opera House, but remain a rarity.
Read the full data here.
