A small theatre or arts venue fills and empties with every performance, often with a bar and foyer crowd on top of the seated audience. Martyn's Law expects a procedure that works for a full house of people who don't know the building.
Martyn's Law applies to premises that can hold 200 people or more. The figure that matters is your maximum capacity — the most people who could be on site at once — not a typical day.
For a theatre, that usually means thinking about:
Not sure which side of the line you're on? The free checker gives you a straight answer in about a minute — no account needed.
If your theatre is standard tier (200–799 capacity), the good news is the requirements are practical and low-cost. The Home Office has confirmed you don't need to buy specialist security services. It comes down to:
A written plan for what your team would do in an emergency — evacuation, moving people to safety inside, lockdown, and how you'd communicate.
Everyone working at your theatre should understand the procedure and their part in it. No security background needed.
Keep your procedure, training logs and drill records together, so you can show a regulator you've done what's required.
Verith is built specifically for standard-tier venues like yours. You walk your theatre with your phone, photographing your exits, assembly points and key areas. Verith turns that into a complete Public Protection Procedure you can download, share with your team and hand to an inspector.
From there you log staff training and drills in the same place — so everything you need to prove compliance lives in one tidy record. Most venues are ready in about a week.
Martyn's Law applies to premises that can hold 200 or more people. Because it's based on your maximum capacity — including busy periods, functions and events — many small theatres are in scope even if a typical day is quieter. You can check in about a minute with the free Verith eligibility checker.
Standard-tier venues need a written Public Protection Procedure, staff who understand it, and records showing they're prepared. The Home Office has confirmed standard-tier venues can comply without buying specialist security services.
No. Standard-tier compliance is designed to be achievable without consultants. Verith guides you through your procedure, staff training and drills step by step — most venues are ready within a week.
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent in April 2025, and enforcement is expected to begin no earlier than spring 2027 — so there's time to prepare now.
Check if it applies, then build your Public Protection Procedure with a guided photo walkaround. No consultants, no jargon — most venues are compliant within a week.
No card needed · 14-day free trial · Made for standard-tier venues
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