Martyn's Law by premises type
Martyn's Law for Theatres
Where this is up to
It's law. No one's checking yet. You've got time to get ready.
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent in April 2025. The duties are not yet in force: commencement is expected no earlier than spring 2027, after a 24-month implementation period. Nothing has to be submitted to the SIA today, so the work now is recording your scope, your procedures, and your staff awareness.
- Apr 2025 The Act received Royal Assent
- Apr 2026 Home Office statutory guidance first published
- Jun 2026 SIA enforcement guidance in consultation (until 12 June)
- Spring 2027 Earliest the operator duties commence
Worth doing now
- Confirm the number behind your tier, and keep the method you used to reach it.
- Draft the four procedures (evacuation, invacuation, lockdown, communication) and brief your team.
- Start building records now, so they're there before duties commence.
Theatres
When the house is full mid-show
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The seats are only part of the count
Include front-of-house, box office, bars, technical, stage management, cast, volunteers, contractors, and any visiting company expected to be present at the same time. Count more than the seats sold.
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Procedures change through the performance
Seating, the show in a dark auditorium, the interval foyer surge, and the curtain-down exit are different jobs. Evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication each need a version for that part of the performance.
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Communicating to a dark auditorium is the hard part
The cue chain that already calls the show can carry a deliberate-incident message: house lights, the DSM's show stop, a pre-agreed front-of-curtain announcement, and cans to cast and crew. Write it into the procedure.
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Visiting companies need a standing handover
Touring and amateur productions change weekly. A one-page house-procedures briefing signed off in production week keeps awareness current without re-explaining the building every time.
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Volunteers and ushers count, and need site-specific awareness
Front-of-house volunteers and casual ushers are part of the number and are often closest to the audience, so their induction and per-production awareness are part of the record.
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Get-in and get-out are access-control moments
Fit-up and breakdown at antisocial hours with the stage door propped open are when the building is most open; record how access is controlled during those windows.
Capacity checker
Your busiest moment is what counts
Theatre capacity check
Count the performance at its busiest point: audience, foyer, backstage, cast, crew, volunteers, and contractors present together.
Source: GOV.UK capacity methodology
GOV.UK says to determine the “greatest number of individuals reasonably expected to be present at the same time.” Its factsheet also says to include workers, and to consider immediate-vicinity areas for procedures rather than the threshold count.
Read the GOV.UK factsheet →Records
What to keep on file for Theatres
- Capacity assessment by performance type, covering musical, play, panto, gala, or hire. Include audience, front-of-house, technical, stage management, cast, volunteers, and contractors.
- Procedure pack keyed to pre-show, performance, interval, backstage, and exit states.
- Cue-chain procedure linking house lights, the DSM's show stop, and a front-of-curtain announcement script for a deliberate incident during a performance.
- Visiting-company briefing form completed in production week, with the company manager's sign-off.
- Awareness register for front-of-house, box office, technical, stage door, duty managers, ushers, and volunteers: induction plus per-production refresh.
- Get-in and get-out access-control record for fit-up, changeover, and breakdown.
- Joint front-of-house and stage-management exercise log for communication, lockdown, and audience-movement scenarios.
- Review trigger log for new seating plans, foyer works, gala or hire bookings, or a new producing model.
Related resources
Martyn's Law resources for Theatres
- Martyn's Law
Martyn's Law: Does Your Venue Meet the 200-Person Threshold?
How to calculate whether a venue meets the 200-person capacity threshold under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.
7 min read - Martyn's Law
Martyn's Law: The Statutory Guidance Is Out
The Home Office has published the section 27 statutory guidance, and the SIA's enforcement guidance is open for comment until 12 June. What the document settles, and what still has to wait until commencement.
2 min read - Martyn's Law
Martyn's Law: The Commencement Clock Has Started
The first commencement order under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. What S.I. 2026/320 does and does not trigger.
3 min read
Martyn's Law questions for Theatres
Does fixed seating decide theatre capacity?
Fixed seating is a useful input, but the assessment includes everyone expected to be present at the same time: audience, front-of-house, cast, crew, stage management, volunteers, and contractors. A sold studio can tip over 200 once the workers are added.
Do theatres need a formal risk assessment at standard tier?
Standard tier does not require a formal terrorism risk assessment. The work is proportionate procedures and staff awareness, with evidence to show what you considered and who was briefed.
We already call a Show Stop. Is that enough?
It is a good starting point. Martyn's Law adds the deliberate-attack branch: invacuation and lockdown as well as evacuation. It also expects the call to work during a performance, not only for fire.
Do visiting companies and volunteers count?
Yes. Touring and amateur companies and front-of-house volunteers are part of the number expected to be present. Record how they were counted and how each was briefed on the house procedures.
Who is responsible at a trust-run house with weekly visiting companies?
The duty falls on whoever has control of the premises. Usually that is the venue or the charitable trust that runs the building, not the touring company passing through. A visiting company still has to follow the house procedures and be briefed, but the responsibility for having those procedures in place stays with the venue. Where control is genuinely shared, the parties are expected to coordinate so nothing falls between them.
Official sources
Other premises types
Compare another Martyn's Law scenario
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Hotels
Rooms, events, departments, night operations, and evidence across mixed-use hotels.
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Pubs and bars
Big-match peaks, beer gardens, door teams, function rooms, and staff-awareness records.
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Exhibition and conference venues
Venue, organiser, exhibitor and contractor handovers in one evidence trail.
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Cinemas
Staggered showtimes, packed foyers, and who is in the building at once.
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Community venues and halls
Recurring hires, volunteers, and the committee minute behind the call.
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Music Venues
A full room with the lights down, plus crew and security working it.
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Places of Worship
Service peaks, the place-of-worship rule, and volunteer awareness.
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Restaurants and cafes
Covers, terraces, private dining, and the staff who push a busy service past 200.
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Shops and retail
Peak footfall, seasonal staff, and surge days like Black Friday, not annual totals.
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Sports Grounds
Match-day counts and the access-control facts that set the tier.
Keep Martyn's Law procedures, staff awareness, and evidence in one place.
Duty Room is operational compliance software: workflows, checklists, and evidence. It is not a substitute for professional legal, regulatory, or compliance advice. You are responsible for understanding and meeting the obligations that apply to your business.