Rolling with Sarah

Went to see & Juliet at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa last night. I really enjoyed the show. It was a comedy with the premise of what if Juliet didn’t kill herself and went on to have an adventure in Paris? It was a modern take with several LGBTQ plot twists. Very funny and entertaining, with a message that everyone should be true to themselves. The actors and actresses did a phenomenal job and had so much energy. I won’t say anything else, this is something you have to see for yourself.

As for the accessibility of the venue, I have a few points to make. Let’s start with parking. They have an abundance of accessible parking spots located very close to the elevator. You have to be careful though, as some spots have pillars next to them making it so a wheelchair can’t get by.  So choose your spot wisely depending on your personal needs. There was a nice ramp leading inside to the elevators with actuators on the doors.

Once inside, the lobby itself was pretty “accessible” for my needs. It is all one level. I was able to purchase a T shirt and roll around while we were waiting with no problem. There was an elevated stage with a backdrop to take pictures in front of, and it had a ramp to get up to it, so no complaints there. A kind fellow show-goer volunteered to take our picture which was very thoughtful.

When it was time to enter the auditorium, we went to the far left door and had our tickets scanned. From there, they directed us to the ramp going in. We were escorted to our seats by an usher. There was a chair for my father and an empty space for me to park my chair in. We were quite happy with the view from our seats. There was the row we were in and another row just a few rows in front of us which were both dedicated to those with accessibility needs.

Unfortunately, the person beside me was doused in a heavy dose of perfume. Accessibility is more than a ramp. It is creating a place where everyone is comfortable. Seeing as it was supposed to be a scent-free zone, I was disappointed. Alas, there was nothing I could really do about it so I just sucked it up. Just a reminder that not everyone can do heavy scents.

As I said before, I really enjoyed to show. Everyone remained seated so I was always able to see the stage and know what was going on. The only complaint would come at the end where everyone stood up during the bows and I couldn’t see anything but other patron’s backsides. Not the best view lol. That is the problem with putting the accessibility seats at the back.

When it was all over and we were ready to go, we took the ramp back to the lobby level. Before we did, we stayed in our seats just a bit to avoid the heavy crowds. Crowds are difficult to manoeuvrer in a chair as people don’t stop and we are always afraid of ramming ankles. But we waited and eventually we did get out.

We took the elevator back down to the parking level. There was a little enclosure to pay for parking. There was a line, but it went quickly. I am happy to report this space had an actuator to enter and exit, but we didn’t even need to use it, as considerate people held the door for us.

Th National Arts Centre is a great venue for seeing a play. They have several good accessibility features. Obviously nowhere is perfect, but all in all our experience was quite smooth. One thing that I would like to stress is not to go for a concert if you are in a wheelchair. Everyone stands and you can’t see anything. Not a fun experience. Just something to consider. I love the theatre and hope to return to the NAC to see more shows in the future.