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Cookie Policy

Newcastle Theatre Royal Cookie Policy
What are cookies and how do we use them?

Cookies are small text files that are saved on your device, like your computer or phone, when you visit a website. We use them to help our website run properly, remember your settings, and make your experience better. Some cookies also help us understand how people are using our site or support our advertising.

Cookies can’t be used to identify you personally, but they do help us understand what’s working and what needs improving.

Want to learn more? Visit www.allaboutcookies.org.

 

Types of cookies we use

We use a few different types of cookies to keep things running smoothly and help us improve what we do.

 

1. Strictly Necessary Cookies

These are the cookies that make sure the website works. They handle things like security, letting you log in, or remembering that you’ve already accepted cookies. Without these, some parts of the site just wouldn’t function properly.

Here’s what we use:

  • OptanonConsent
    Set by: theatreroyal.co.uk
    What it does: Remembers your cookie settings so we know what you’ve agreed to.
    How long it lasts: 1 year.
  • visid_incap_*
    Set by: theatreroyal.co.uk
    What it does: Helps keep the website secure using Incapsula.
    How long it lasts: 1 year.
  • incap_ses_*
    Set by: theatreroyal.co.uk
    What it does: Keeps sessions secure (also from Incapsula).
    How long it lasts: 1 day.
  • OptanonAlertBoxClosed
    Set by: theatreroyal.co.uk
    What it does: Tells us if you’ve closed the cookie banner.
    How long it lasts: 1 year.
  • .AspNetCore.Identity.Application
    Set by: tnew.theatreroyal.co.uk
    What it does: Helps keep you logged in as you move around the site.
    How long it lasts: 1 day.

 

2. Performance Cookies

These help us understand how people are using the site, what’s popular, what isn’t, and whether things are working properly. Everything collected is anonymous and just helps us make improvements.

Here’s what we use:

  • Google Analytics 4 (_ga, _gid, gat*)
    Set by: theatreroyal.co.uk
    What it does: Shows us which pages you visit, how long you stay, and how you found us.
    How long they last: 1 minute to 1 year.
  • Hotjar (hjSessionUser*, hjSession*, _hjIncludedInPageviewSample, _hjIncludedInSessionSample)
    Set by: Hotjar
    What it does: Tracks how people use the site, including clicks and scrolls, and creates heatmaps and session replays.
    How long they last: From a few minutes to 1 year
  • Microsoft Clarity (_clck, _clsk)
    Set by: Clarity
    What it does: Helps us see how visitors are moving through the site using anonymised session recordings.
    How long they last: 1 day to 1 year.

If you’d rather not be tracked by Google Analytics, you can opt out here: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

 

3. Functional Cookies

These remember choices you’ve made and help us personalise your experience. They also support tools that help the site run more smoothly behind the scenes.

Here’s what we use:

  • AWSALB / AWSALBCORS
    Set by: tnew.theatreroyal.co.uk
    What it does: Balances traffic across servers to keep the site fast and stable.
    How long they last: 6 days.
  • ARRAffinity / ARRAffinitySameSite
    Set by: tnew.theatreroyal.co.uk
    What it does: Makes sure your session stays on the same server while you browse.
    How long they last: Until you close the browser.
  • ai_session / ai_user
    Set by: Microsoft Application Insights
    What it does: Helps track site performance and fix issues.
    How long they last: 1 day / 1 year.

 

4. Targeting and Advertising Cookies

These cookies are used to show you more relevant ads and help us measure how well our marketing is working. They might track what you look at on our site and show you ads elsewhere based on your interests.

Here’s what we use:

  • Facebook (_fbp, fr)
    Set by: facebook.com
    What it does: Helps show you Theatre Royal ads on Facebook and Instagram and track how you interact with them.
    How long they last: 3 months.
  • Google Ads (NID, ANID, 1P_JAR)
    Set by: google.com
    What it does: Tracks interactions with ads, helps show you relevant promotions.
    How long they last: Up to 13 months.
  • YouTube (VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE, YSC, CONSENT)
    Set by: youtube.com
    What it does: Enables YouTube videos to play on the site and tracks how you interact with them.
    How long they last: From the end of your session to 6+ months.

We also use tools like the Facebook Pixel and Google Ads conversion tracking to understand what happens when someone clicks an ad and visits our site. These cookies may be used to show you ads on other websites.

Just a heads-up: only users aged 13 and over can give permission for these cookies. If you’re under 13, you’ll need to speak to a parent or guardian.

 

5. Other or Unclassified Cookies

Now and then, new cookies pop up that haven’t been categorised yet. We’re keeping an eye on them and will update this page once we’ve got the details.

How to manage your cookies 

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. Most browsers let you:

  • Block cookies altogether.
  • Delete cookies that have already been set.
  • Ask before setting a cookie.

Here’s how to manage them in popular browsers:

You can also revisit our cookie banner at any time to review or change your preferences.