Members
Performance Venue Information
The health and safety and emergency briefing that every member and parent reads before show week at the Dormston Mill Theatre. It covers fire exits and the assembly point, signing in and out, the hazards on and around the stage, the rule that under-16s must be accompanied, and where to find first aid.
- Who it is for
- MembersWritten for members, and for anyone taking part in a production.
- What it is
- Venue briefing
- Last updated
- 24 July 2026
The one page health and safety and emergency briefing every member and parent reads before show week at the Dormston Mill Theatre. It covers fire exits and the assembly point, signing in and out, known hazards on stage, the rule that under-16s must be accompanied, first aid, and who the key production personnel are. Maintained under Rule 47 and updated with new names for each production.
The briefing
- Fire exits are the scene dock doors, the exits in the corridor to the theatre, and the exits outside the theatre door on the first floor; the assembly point is the Queen Victoria School playground
- Everyone signs in and out at every performance: adults on the noticeboard in the dressing room corridor, crew with the Stage Manager, front of house with the House Manager, children with the chaperones
- Parents must sign their child in and out, wait with them if a chaperone is delayed, and collect them from the dressing room at the end of the show
- All under-16s, up to and including school Year 11, must be accompanied by a parent or chaperone at all times
- Known hazards: cables, scenery, lighting, special effects, pyrotechnics, the trap door and the edge of the stage
- First aid box is with the Stage Manager on stage left and at the venue office on the ground floor; all accidents are reported to the Stage Manager, who completes an accident form
Finding us
We perform at the Dormston Mill Theatre, Mill Bank, Sedgley DY3 1SN, a warm and intimate venue at the heart of the community, part of the Dormston Sports and Arts Centre. Enter through the steel gates and head for the main entrance, then go right and up the spiral staircase to reach the theatre lobby. The what3words reference for the entrance is energy.daisy.ahead.
There is free parking in the Dormston School car park on Mill Bank, one minute away, though it fills up quickly, plus three pay and display car parks within a five minute walk. We rehearse separately at St Andrews Church, Churchill Road, Bentley, Walsall WS2 0AA.
Plan your parking to allow plenty of time for a relaxed arrival, especially if you are hoping for the free Mill Bank car park, which fills up fast. In an evacuation, every exit leads to the assembly point in the Queen Victoria School playground.
The building
- First floor theatre lobby, reached from the main entrance by the spiral staircase
- Auditorium with a raised stage, trap door and scene dock
- Dressing rooms and toilets off the dressing room corridor
- Venue office on the ground floor, which also holds a first aid box
- Free parking at Mill Bank (Dormston School car park), DY3 1SL, one minute walk, fills up fast
- Main High Street car park, DY3 1RP, pay and display, three minute walk
- Vicar Street car park near Iceland, DY3 1SB, pay and display via app, three minute walk
- Brick Street car park behind the Bulls Head, DY3 1NT, pay and display, five minute walk
Accessibility
Not documented
We do not have this documented, and we would rather say so than guess. The only route the company's own material describes is right and up the spiral staircase from the main entrance to the first floor theatre lobby, which suggests the auditorium is upstairs. There is nothing on record about step-free access, a lift, wheelchair spaces, accessible toilets, hearing loops or relaxed performances. Please ask the venue directly before you book if access matters to your visit.
Getting a copy
The briefing is reissued for every production, because the named roles change with each show. Ask the Stage Manager or any committee member for the copy that applies to the show you are in.
The other documents
Members
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Anyone
Parents and guardians