The accessible performances include Captioned, British Sign Language, Audio Described and Relaxed.
Stephen Crocker, Chief Executive & Creative Director, said: “It is very important to us to provide inclusive performances where everyone can come and enjoy the same theatre experiences as everyone else. This Christmas, Norwich Theatre is offering a variety of accessible performances, including British Sign Language, Captioned, and Audio Described, and one of my favourite performances of the entire panto run is the Relaxed Performance.
The atmosphere is one of the best. It is an absolute joy seeing families for whom the traditional theatre conventions are a major barrier to enjoying a show in our auditorium.”
British Sign Language – 27 Dec
At these performances, a trained British Signed Language (BSL) signer stands to one side of the stage and signs the performance at the same time it is being performed.
Captioned – 27 Dec
Captioned performances are very similar to television subtitles and give anyone in the audience who might be deaf or hard of hearing access to the live performance. The captions are also useful for those whose first language is not English.
Audio Described – 28 Dec
Audio Description is a live verbal commentary via a device to help those who are visually impaired. The commentary is live with an audio describer sitting at the back of the auditorium.
Relaxed – 5 Jan
This quieter performance is for anyone who may find it difficult to attend a standard show of Sleeping Beauty, The Fairy’s Tale. The seating is more spaced out with fewer audience members, the auditorium lighting is not switched off completely, and there will be reduced special effects. There is also no need to worry about making noise or moving around. And trust me, you will still have all the panto fun you could want.
We have recently launched our visual story – a guide to what to expect when you visit the theatre. It can be particularly useful for those attending the Relaxed Performance, or anyone visiting us for the first time, or who might have children in their party who would benefit from knowing what to expect in the story.
Sleeping Beauty, the Visual Story, is told by Cosmo the Fairy. It is available as a PDF to download, an audio file to listen to, or as a printed copy that you can get from the Box Office at Norwich Theatre Royal.
You can discuss any of the accessible performances with the friendly Box Office team on 01603 630 000 or visit the box office in person. The theatre have dedicated members of staff who are BSL level 1 trained. If you would prefer to email, please get in touch with the box office at info@norwichtheatre.org.