FAQs
We’re really
excited to get back up and running and are looking forward to seeing you again
as soon as we can.
In order to protect
you, our staff and volunteers, your visit to the cinema will look and feel a
little different to normal, so we’ve pulled together the following FAQs to help
you get an idea of what to expect. If you have any further questions, please
email [email protected]
BOOKING
Can I make my
booking in the normal way?
Due to social
distancing measures, we ask all customers to buy
their tickets in advance so that we can ensure the seating is
properly spaced – you will not be able to buy tickets for an
evening’s screening or future screenings at the cinema.
We have reduced the
number of seats available in our auditorium drastically in line with social
distancing guidelines – when making a booking, you will not be allowed to
purchase seats that are within 2 seats of another group, as these will
automatically be made unavailable by our ticketing system.
With reduced
capacity seating in operation, we ask that you show consideration when choosing
your seats – by not booking a single ticket in the middle of a block of
available seats for example.
Can I buy tickets
on the door?
Unfortunately not.
We ask all customers to buy their tickets in advance (either from our website
or in person at the Town Hall) so that we can ensure the seating is properly
spaced – you will not be able to buy tickets for an evening’s screening or
future screenings at the cinema.
What if I display
symptoms before my visit?
If, in the run up
to your booked screening, you or anyone in your household develop any of the
symptoms of COVID-19 (high temperature, new or continuous cough or a loss of or
change to sense of taste and/or smell), we ask that you do NOT come to the
cinema, but instead contact us at [email protected] to
organise a refund for your tickets. If possible, please let us know within 6
hours of the scheduled film start time.
Is Royston Picture
Palace supporting NHS Test & Trace?
Yes, when you book,
our systems will automatically collect the name and contact number of the lead
member of your group. These details will be kept for 21 days and will only be
used for checking you in to the cinema (instead of showing a physical ticket)
and for Test and Trace purposes should someone develop symptoms after their
trip to the cinema.
If someone in your household develops COVID-19 symptoms after a trip to the cinema, please follow the government guidelines on self-isolating and testing, and please let us know by emailing [email protected] with the details of your cinema visit.
ARRIVAL AT THE CINEMA
How will my visit
to Royston Picture Palace be different?
The cinema doors
will, as usual, be open 30 minutes before each screening. We ask all customers
to allow a little extra time than they usually might, to allow for additional
health and safety measures.
We’ll be asking you
to enter the foyer in the usual way and join the queue inside towards the main
stairwell. Please ensure you follow social distancing guidelines and remain 2m
apart from other booking groups in the queue.
Once in the queue,
you’ll be asked for the name the booking is under (instead of showing a ticket)
and we’ll also take your temperature safely using a digital infrared
thermometer. Anyone with a temperature of over 37.8°C will be asked to return
home, arrange for a COVID-19 test as soon as possible and to follow Government
self-isolation guidelines.
To encourage mask
wearing, we’ll have very limited refreshments available at first (water only)
for evening screenings, and you can buy these as the queue passes the
refreshments counter.
Once at the front
of the queue, a member of the team will be on hand to direct you up to the
auditorium, one booking group at a time. We ask that you take your seats
promptly.
The main toilets in
the foyer are currently closed, but the disabled toilet behind our coffee
machine will be available for everyone to use, as will the toilets accessed
through the auditorium.
The coffee machine
will not be in use at this time.
ACCESS REQUIREMENTS
What if I have
requirements that make it hard for me to queue?
If for any reason
you are unable to queue, please let a member of staff know and we will assist
you.
The front row of
our auditorium seating is accessible for those with mobility requirements, and
we ask that if possible when making your booking, you leave these seats free
for others who may need them. These seats will be available with appropriate
social distancing measures in place.
FACE MASKS
Do I have to wear a
mask?
For the safety of
others, for the first few weeks of opening we will be asking customers to wear
masks at all times during their visit to the cinema –
including during the film. To discourage mask removal, we will not be selling
refreshments other than water for evening screenings at this time.
In line with
Government advice, children under the age of 11 will not be required to wear
face masks and therefore we will be selling a small range of refreshments at
our children’s matinee screenings.
We know masks can
be uncomfortable and that refreshments are preferred, but we have made this
decision with the safety of all of our customers, staff and volunteers in mind,
and really appreciate your co-operation in this matter.
This rule will be
under review over the first few weeks and we hope to be able to serve
refreshments at all screenings again as soon.
What if I am exempt
from wearing a mask?
If you are exempt
from wearing a mask, please let a member of staff know when you arrive.
What if I forget my
face mask?
We will have a
limited stock of disposable masks available (for a donation of £1) should you
forget yours. Please take these home with you for disposal at the end of the
screening.
What if I don’t
want to wear a face mask?
We have made our
decisions regarding the wearing of masks with everybody’s safety in mind, and
we ask everyone to respect that decision. If you feel very strongly against
wearing a mask, please wait until our rules have been revised before planning
your trip to the cinema.
All of our safety
rules and guidelines will be monitored and reviewed to encourage people back to
the cinema safely and fairly.
STAFF TRAINING
Will Royston
Picture Palace staff and volunteers be wearing PPE?
For everyone’s
protection, all of our staff and volunteers will be wearing a face mask and/or
a clear face visor and will be regularly sanitising and washing their hands.
What training have
Royston Picture Palace staff undertaken?
Every member of
staff and all volunteers will have participated in our venue Training Afternoon
where we will have taken them through all of our new health and safety
processes and procedures. They will also each have taken and passed an online
training module set up by the UK Cinema Association (UKCA) – Coronavirus basic awareness for Cinemas and will
be fully up-to-date on Government guidelines in response to the COVID-19
outbreak.
All of our team
members will be adhering to social distancing rules, will have their
temperature taken on arrival at each shift, and will be working in “shift
bubbles” where possible to reduce interactions between multiple households.
SOCIAL DISTANCING
How will social
distancing be implemented at the cinema?
We have vastly reduced
the number of seats that we will be selling to allow social distancing to take
place as you watch the film. Household groups can sit together, but we’ve
changed our seating plan to mean that no groups are closer together than
allowed (currently 1m+).
When you book your
seats, you will see that some seats have been automatically removed – this is
to maximize the social distancing between booked groups. Once you select your
seats, our systems will automatically remove the surrounding seats from sale to
ensure that no customers are within the 1-2m space as set out by the
Government’s guidelines.
Whilst it is
advisable to select seats away from other booked groups where possible, if you
are only booking one or 2 seats, we would ask that you do not select the seats
in the middle of an available set, to allow for other individuals/pairs to book
as well.
As well as our
revised seating plan, when in and around the cinema (visiting the toilets for
example) we ask that you keep 2m away from other customers who are not in your
household group. We also ask that you follow the advice given on our signage
and ask a member of staff if you are unclear about anything.
REFRESHMENTS
Will I be able to
buy refreshments?
To start with, and
to encourage mask-wearing, we will not be selling refreshments other than
bottled water for our evening screenings.
As children are not
required to wear masks, we will be selling a limited selection of refreshments
at our matinee screenings.
We ask that you pay
using contactless cards where possible.
For the protection
of others, we ask that you do not bring your own refreshments into the cinema.
DURING THE FILM
What will be
happening with air flow in the auditorium?
The Air
Conditioning unit in the building has undergone a thorough service and is safe
for use. It will be turned up to a higher-than-usual setting in order to
maximise airflow around the auditorium.
What if I feel
unwell during a screening?
If you start to
cough repeatedly during a screening, or develop a high temperature, we ask that
you and your guests leave the auditorium immediately for the health, safety and
comfort of all other customers and our staff/volunteers. If the symptoms are
in-line with COVID-19 symptoms, you and your household are then advised to get
tested as soon as possible and follow the current Government advice regarding
self-isolation.
If you feel unwell
in any other way, please leave your seat and alert a member of staff.
What if I need the
toilet during the screening?
Public Health
England has advised that people passing in relatively close proximity for a
very short period of time (i.e. passing other guests in a row of seats to go to
the toilet) poses minimal risk of spreading COVID-19.
We’ve done our best
to minimize the chances of this, but our seating plan does mean that there may
be instances where you need to pass or be passed by other cinema-goers to leave
your seats. If you feel uncomfortable with this, then we suggest booking 4
seats together in a section close to the aisle, or waiting until social
distancing rules have been further relaxed before planning a visit to the
cinema.
AT THE END OF THE FILM
What happens after
the screening?
When the screening finishes, we ask you to remain seated until the lights come
up at the end of the credits. We’ll then ask you to exit row by row – please do
not leave until the row in front of you has cleared. We appreciate this will
take a little longer than usual so please allow for this when working out
arrangements for your visit (babysitters/taxis etc).
You will then be
directed to exit the auditorium via the ground floor fire exit. A staff member
will be on hand to assist.
What if I develop
symptoms after my screening?
If you (or anyone
in your household) develop COVID-19 symptoms (high temperature, new or
continuous cough or a change to or loss of sense of taste and/or smell), within
14 days of your visit, please follow Government guidelines around testing and
isolation, and contact us as soon as possible. We will then begin the process
around Test and Trace procedures.
Similarly, if we
hear that any other customer has developed symptoms since their visit, we will
use the details provided at booking to contact you or the person who booked
your tickets and advise on next steps.
GENERAL FAQs
Is there disabled
and wheelchair access?
Yes. Royston
Picture Palace has what we hope is a good provision for the less mobile. The
front entrance is ramped with handrails either side; there is a toilet for the
disabled on the ground floor; we have a lift between the ground and first
floors and there is provision within our seating plan for up to three
wheelchair users with carers.
Do you have a
booking procedure for disabled customers?
Yes. The layout of
the cinema means that it is necessary for us to change the layout of the seating
to give access to wheelchair users. Therefore we ask that wheelchair users
contact [email protected] so that we can book your
seating for you.
Please indicate
which film you wish to attend and whether you wish to bring a carer (who will
be offered a complimentary seat in the vicinity of your wheelchair space). You
will then be contacted to confirm your booking. Payment will be taken at the
Box Office on the night.
The CEA card
The CEA Card is a
national concessionary card developed by the Cinema Exhibitors Association for
UK cinemas in order to allow people with disabilities to obtain one free ticket
for a person accompanying them to the cinema. Click here to obtain your card.
Is Royston Picture
Palace available for private hire?
Unfortunately, not
at this time.
How can I find out
more about cinema classifications?
Click here to find out more about the film
classifications and an explanation of what they mean.
How much are
tickets?
We offer four
ticket types: Adult, 65+, 19-30 and 18 & under. To view prices, click on
the ‘Buy Tickets’ button for the film that interests you. Please note we
operate a no refunds or exchange policy unless related to symptoms of COVID-19.
Why do you now have
a booking fee?
As a charitable
not-for-profit organisation, we have to ensure that we cover costs in running
two well-respected community cinemas. In this regard, Saffron Screen has always
charged a booking fee for purchasing tickets online, in order to cover some of
the costs of running a ticket system which enables online booking for our
customers. Having taken over the operation of Royston Picture Palace in
December 2019, we have reviewed both the ticket prices and booking fees. Whilst
we have decided not to increase the cost of the tickets (apart from a very
small increase in the Adult Evening price to simplify cash handling), we have
introduced an online booking fee of 60p per ticket (capped at £2.40 per
transaction). There will continue to be no booking fees for ticket purchases at
the Town Hall or the box office at screenings. We hope you will understand the
need for this charge (it costs around £7,000 per year to run the ticket system
for one cinema) to ensure we can continue to run Royston Picture Palace and
improve the range of films and events for our customers.
Can I volunteer to
help out?
Yes! Royston
Picture Palace is manned entirely by a dedicated team of volunteers who
voluntarily give up their time to run our community cinema. If the performance
isn’t full, they are able to watch the performance for free.
Duties include
anything from assisting with ticket sales, helping the audience with any
queries, vending refreshments, and assisting with the implementation of health,
safety and fire regulations. We also have a limited number of voluntary
Performance Manager roles.
All volunteers are
given full training to enable them to complete all tasks assigned to them.
If you would like
to join the team of volunteers, please email [email protected]