New Zealand Health and Safety laws require us to comply with some strict but important regulations to keep everyone who enters our theatre building safe and sound.
As part of packing-in all artists working at BATS need to undertake a venue tour, even if they’ve done this before. The tour covers off things like emergency exits, fire alarm panels, fire extinguishers, and where to meet in an emergency. This happens at the start of your pack-in time.
All our shows also need to fill out a Risk Assessment form before opening night, to make sure any hazards are identified and managed. We have a template form you can use, and our Technical & Facilities Manager will help you to make sure this completed quickly and correctly.
A working theatre can be a dangerous environment, so making sure Health and Safety procedures are followed properly is a small price to pay when you consider the serious consequences of an accident or injury. Making BATS a safe space to be in is everyone’s responsibility.
Alcohol
Hooray for having a bar on site! As a BATS artist, you’ll get sweet discounts at the bar which will be open throughout your season for pre and post show good times.
If you’d like to make special arrangements for drinks, for an opening night function or other event, download our Opening Night Drinks info sheet and get in touch with our Front of House Manager in advance. Bear in mind we generally need two weeks notice to allow for ordering new stock.
BATS is an ‘on-licence’ which means that any alcohol on site needs to be bought and sold through the bar, and cannot leave the premises. The law requires us to be vigilant about adhering to our licence and there are severe penalties for breaching these rules, including some big fines.
If alcohol features in your show, consider replacing it for a non-alcoholic stand-in, or if only the real deal will do, talk to our Bar Manager in advance about how we can help.
We understand that alcohol makes an excellent gift for theatre types, so if you’re giving or receiving a gift of alcohol at BATS, hand it into the bar and collect it on your way out.
