Behind the Scenes of Safer Theatres: LW Theatres Compliance Revolution

The LW Theatres Group own and operate some of London’s top venues, including the London Palladium and Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber, it attracts around one in three visitors to London's musical theatres.

The group also owns His Majesty’s Theatre, Cambridge Theatre, Gillian Lynne Theatre, and Adelphi Theatre, which is co-owned with Nederlander Theatres. Over £100 million has been reinvested into its venues since 2006, showing a commitment to preserving its theatres and supporting the arts.

Meet Will Ramsay – Leading Compliance and Innovation at LW Theatres

With years of experience managing safety and environmental standards, he ensures that theatre teams have a comprehensive set of tools at their disposal to enable a smooth and safe operation for all persons whilst at an LW Theatres venue.

“Our operations span multiple theatres, each with complex requirements. We needed a system that was intuitive, transparent, and capable of handling the scale of our compliance needs, Papertrail delivered exactly that.”

– Will Ramsay, Compliance Systems and Sustainability Strategy Manager, LW Theatres

Navigating Complex Standards in a High-Stakes Environment

Running major theatres means following many rules and guidelines. From staff and performers to contractors and the public, there are many potential risks to mitigate.

The team needed a simple digital solution that could track all these standards and provide real-time updates. A system that would help them stay consistent, increase accountability, and keep up with tough regulations, such as ABTT Section M.

“Papertrail enabled us to clearly map our practices against ABTT Section M standards, conduct a structured gap analysis, and implement a plan to align with industry best practice.“

– Will Ramsay, Compliance Systems and Sustainability Strategy Manager, LW Theatres

Delivering on Digital Compliance with Papertrail

After reviewing several options, LW Theatres chose Papertrail as their compliance platform. It helped them align their practices with ABTT Section M and build an improvement plan based on their findings.

With Papertrail’s flexible tools, LW Theatres set up a structure that matched their compliance needs enabling Will and the team to measure their operations against industry standards.

Papertrail also helped create a reporting system that gave managers real-time data on compliance, improving transparency and decision-making.

Centralised Data, Defined Accountability, Stronger Compliance

Since switching to Papertrail, compliance at LW Theatres has improved. The team now uses a central hub to access inspection data and safety records, all in one place ensuring accuracy and auditability.

With Papertrail, we’ve introduced peer review processes and clear responsibility matrices, ensuring that our evidence is complete and everyone knows who’s responsible.”

– Will Ramsay, Compliance Systems and Sustainability Strategy Manager, LW Theatres

Switching from paper to digital has made it easier to access information, improved data quality, and strengthened compliance across the board.

Favourite Features – What Stands Out in Papertrail

Key features that help LW Theatres with compliance:

• User-level access control makes sure data is shared securely across teams.

• Centralised digital storage provides a single place for inspections and compliance records.

• Inspection tracking and action management keep teams on top of tasks and deadlines.

• Audit trail functionality gives clear proof of compliance for inspections and reviews.

Each of these tools help maintain high standards and promote safety, accountability, and continuous improvement for LW Theatres.

“The ability to define user-level access, track actions, and maintain a centralised audit trail has given us the confidence that we’re managing compliance in a truly robust way.”

– Will Ramsay, Compliance Systems and Sustainability Strategy Manager, LW Theatres

Looking Ahead – Opportunities for Evolution

While Papertrail has improved compliance at LW Theatres, Will sees room for growth in the platform.

An improved reporting tool would reduce complexity and better meet the team's needs, helping them produce reports more easily without extra integrations.

"At first, some of our team found it a bit overwhelming, but once they became familiar with the systems, they saw the benefits and understood the goal that was trying to be achieved straight away. The automated reminders and easy access to records have made a huge difference in our daily operations."

– Will Ramsay, Compliance Systems and Sustainability Strategy Manager, LW Theatres

LW Theatres is proud to work with Papertrail to maintain safety and compliance across London’s top venues.

LW Theatres

In partnership with LW Theatres Group Ltd., proudly supporting safety and compliance across London’s most iconic stages.