130 Accessible Edinburgh: A Festival Guide Entertainment 131
Opal Lounge
0131-226 20275; http://www.opallounge.co.uk; 51 George St; admission
£5; 10pm-3am; buses 19, 36, 37, 41, 47
The Opal Lounge is jammed at weekends with affluent 20- and
30-somethings who’ve spent £200 and two hours in front of a
mirror to achieve that artlessly scruffy look. During the week,
when the air-kissing crowds thin out, it’s a good place to relax
with an expensive but expertly mixed cocktail. Expect to queue
on weekend evenings. There is no wheelchair access as such as
it’s a basement venue; however, staff are happy to assist in help-
ing wheelchair users down the stairs or, with prior notice, can
arrange access through the back fire exit, which leads straight
into the club.
The Stand Comedy Club
0131-558 7272; http://www.thestand.co.uk; 5 York Pl; tickets £2-15;
from 7.30pm Mon-Sat, from 12.30pm Sun; St Andrew Sq
The Stand, founded in 1995, is Edinburgh’s main independent
comedy venue. It’s an intimate cabaret bar with performances
every night and a free Sunday lunchtime show.
Access is via nine stairs at the front of the building, but wheel-
chair users appear to be welcome since the website states that
due to fire regulations they are only allowed to have one wheel-
chair user in the premises at any time! This may be because staff
are available to assist with advance notice (call or email admin@
thestand.co.uk). There’s level access to a backstage toilet, al-
though it’s not clear whether this is fully accessible for wheel-
chair users. Carers are admitted free of charge and wheelchair
users are allowed to jump the queue!
Voodoo Rooms
0131-556 7060; http://www.thevoodoorooms.com; 19a West Register
St; admission free-£10; noon-1am Fri-Sun, 4pm-1am Mon-Thu; St
Andrew Sq
Decadent decor of black leather, ornate plasterwork and gilt
detailing create a funky setting for this complex of bars and
performance spaces above the Cafe Royal that host everything
from classic soul and Motown to Vegas lounge club nights (www.
vegasscotland.co.uk) and live local bands. There are lots of steps,
so it’s completely inaccessible for wheelchair users.
Old TownBannerman’s
0131-556 3254; http://www.bannermanslive.co.uk; 212 Cowgate; noon-
1am Mon-Sat, 12.30pm-1am Sun; buses 35, 45A long-established music venue – it seems like every Edinburgh
student for the last four decades spent half their youth here –
Bannerman’s straggles through a warren of old vaults beneath
South Bridge. It pulls in crowds of students, locals and backpack-
ers alike with live rock, punk and indie bands six nights a week.
It’s wheelchair-accessible, but getting into the toilet may be tight,
especially for power chair users.Bedlam Theatre
0131-629 0430; http://www.bedlamtheatre.co.uk; 11b Bristo Pl; admis-
sion £5; buses 2, 23, 27, 41, 42The Bedlam hosts a long-established (more than 10 years)
weekly improvisation slot, the Improverts, which is hugely pop-
ular with local students. Shows kick off at 10.30pm every Friday
during term time, and you’re guaranteed a robust and entertain-
ing evening.
This Fringe venue is an old Gothic church, a listed building, so
modifications to make it accessible have proven difficult. There
are three steps to access the main outdoor seating area and box
office, and more steps to access the theatre and toilets through
the main doors. However, there is disabled access to the theatre
itself, but advance notification is necessary (using the box office
number above) in order to arrange seating. It’s also possible to
access the indoor cafe in a wheelchair from inside the theatre,
but only between show times. Toilet facilities, including accessi-
ble cubicles, can be accessed in the same way, but the size of the
entrance to the toilets may preclude entry for larger chairs.Jazz Bar
0131-220 4298; http://www.thejazzbar.co.uk; 1a Chambers St;
admission £3-7; 5pm-3am Mon-Fri, 2.30pm-3am Sat-Sun;
buses 35, 45This atmospheric cellar bar, with its polished parquet floors, bare
stone walls, candlelit tables and stylish steel-framed chairs, is
owned and operated by jazz musicians. There’s live music every
night from 9pm to 3am, and on Saturday from 3pm; as well as
jazz, expect bands playing blues, funk, soul and fusion. There