Live Theatre is now offering a range of assisted performances throughout the year aimed at improving the theatre experience for all audience members. Watch out for the following symbols to find a performance that meets your needs:
 

 British Sign Language

 Captioning

 Audio Description

British Sign Language (BSL) is the sign language used in the United Kingdom (UK), and is the first or preferred language of deaf people in the UK.

The language makes use of space and involves movement of the hands, body, face and head. Many thousands of people who are not deaf also use BSL, as hearing relatives of deaf people, sign language interpreters or as a result of other contact with the British deaf community.

When a performance is BSL interpreted the signer usually stands on a raised area, to the side of the stage.

What do I have to do?
All you need to do is tell the box office that you would like to benefit from the BSL service when you buy your ticket so you can be offered a seat(s) in the appropriate area of the theatre. This will ensure you have a clear view of the BSL interpreter and the action on stage.

Find out when the next British Sign Language performance will be

Captioning is a great way for anyone who sometimes finds it difficult to hear the actors speaking to still enjoy coming to the theatre.

You may hear most things but if you need to see people’s faces to follow a conversation or struggle with certain voices, accents or styles of speaking, then theatre captioning means you can enjoy a theatre outing with your friends and family or meet other deaf, deafened or hard of hearing people who love going to the theatre.

You will see the words spoken by the performers displayed as text on a screen on or next to the stage. You will also see the name of the character who is speaking and a description of any sound effect. Sometimes there will be more than one screen. It’s a bit like television subtitles.

People who are studying classic texts or want to improve their English also find captioning useful.

What do I have to do?
All you need to do is tell the box office that you would like a clear view of the caption screen when you buy your ticket.

Will I enjoy the experience?
Our captioners are trained professionals. They take at least 40 hours to turn a script into captions and to rehearse.

The captioner is sent the script for a production as soon as it is available. They then format it using the special STAGETEXT software. They see the live performance at the start of their process. They then work from a video of the show so that they can break up the lines to match the way the actors speak. They will then come back and see the show once or twice more to check for any changes and to make sure their timing really does match the live action on the stage. The captioner doesn’t want to give away the punch line to a joke before the actor does.

The captioner delivers the script live. During the performance they sit either at the back of the auditorium or in the technicians’ box. Using a laptop connected to the caption screen(s) they press a button to cue every single line. This way they can ensure they match the actors’ timing.

The unique STAGETEXT software also means that should the unthinkable happen and an actor forgets a line then the captioner can jump to anywhere in the script and pick up the dialogue from there.

Find out when the next Captioned performance will be

Audio Description is a great way for anyone who sometimes finds it difficult to see the details of a performance to still enjoy coming to the theatre. If you use television audio description, a magnifier or large print books at home then live audio description means you can enjoy a theatre outing with your friends and family or meet other partially sighted or blind people who love going to the theatre.

When you arrive at the theatre, we will give you personal headphones. Through these, you will hear a professional describer giving a live commentary as the performance unfolds. You can hear the commentary from anywhere in the auditorium.

During the quieter moments, the describer tells you what is happening; from actors’ facial expressions to movements across the stage. It’s not intrusive because they only describe what is essential to your enjoyment of the show. Before the performance starts, there will be a touch tour so you can get to know the set and costumes. Before your visit, we will send you a recorded description of the set, costumes, characters and the visual style of the show. It will also be read live 15 to 20 minutes before the start of the performance.

What do I have to do?
All you need to do is tell the box office that you would like to use the audio description service when you buy your ticket.

Not all our shows are audio described. We use this symbol in our season brochure, leaflets and what’s on listings to show which performances are audio described.

Will I enjoy the experience?
The audio describers you will hear are trained professionals. They take at least 30 hours to prepare their commentary.

Most descriptions are prepared by two describers working as a team. They watch a show and study the script and/or score. Using a video or DVD of the production, they then write their description script. It has to fit the style of the show so they work very hard to choose the right words to describe a visual moment. They want to capture how things happen and not just the what.

The describers have to practice and edit what they’ve written to make sure they can say it in the quiet spaces between moments of on-stage action. Timing is everything. Once the script has been prepared, they will do a live rehearsal the night before.

What will happen when I arrive at the theatre?
When you arrive at the theatre, you need to pick up your personal headphones from the box office.

The describer will lead a touch tour, usually around an hour before the show. This gives you a chance to explore the set, costumes and, sometimes, to meet some of the actors.

The describers then go to their description booth or room. They can see and hear everything that is happening in the show but can’t be seen by the audience.

Once the performance starts, they read the description into a microphone. It is transmitted into the auditorium using an infra red or radio system, where it is picked up by your headset.

Find out when the next Audio Described performance will be

Touch Tours
To coincide with audio descibed performances Live Theatre is offering Touch Tours. These can enhance the enjoyment of a show by providing access on stage to feel the set, props and costumes, before a performance. 

Find out when the next Touch Tour will be