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Production photo of Jack and the Beanstalk. There is a line of people on stage, facing the crowd. Richard Gauntlett in a cheese dress, as Dame Trott, panto junior Iris as Beau, Joe Tracini as Jack playing his ukulele, Danny Gooda as Bill and Amanda Henderson as Pat the cow in a rotund cow costume. They are all holding hands and kicking their legs dancing.

There is access for all at this year’s pantomime

Norwich Theatre are holding Captioned, Signed, Relaxed and Audio described performances of Jack and the Beanstalk, this year’s pantomime.

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  • Norwich Theatre News

We are offering a whole host of inclusive performances of our Fee, Fi, Fo, Fun pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk, including a special relaxed performance on Wed 4 Jan, as a part of our commitment for everyone in Norfolk to have amazing creative experiences. 

Today we have just released our Visual Story to help those attending the relaxed performance. You can download this here. In addition, you can find the audio version of the Visual Story here. 

Production photo of Jack and the Beanstalk. There is a line of people on stage, facing the crowd. Richard Gauntlett in a cheese dress, as Dame Trott, panto junior Iris as Beau, Joe Tracini as Jack playing his ukulele, Danny Gooda as Bill and Amanda Henderson as Pat the cow in a rotund cow costume. They are all holding hands and kicking their legs dancing.

While designed for the relaxed performance, this is a great guide for anyone who might be nervous visiting the theatre and would like to familiarise themselves with the show and theatre before seeing a performance. 

We have three other accessible performances during this year’s panto season: Captioned, Signed, Audio described. Details about all the accessible performances are below: 

Captioned – Thu 29 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. 

The actors’ words appear on display units at the side of the stage at the same time the words are spoken or sung. 

Signed – Fri 30 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.  

Audio Described – Tue 3 Jan 

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.  

The Jack and the Beanstalk ensemble cast are on stage in metallic costumes. They are in a V formation, jumping in the air with their hands raised and legs kicked up. Behind them is the inflatable beanstalk, with fog surrounding it.

An introduction is given before the show, and during silent moments of the show, you will hear commentary about the set, costumes, characters, facial expressions, body language and any action. The description does not interfere with the performances but fills in the gaps. 

Relaxed – Wed 4 Jan 

This performance is for anyone who may find it difficult to attend a standard performance of Jack and the Beanstalk. 

This can include people with learning disabilities, movement disorders, autistic spectrum disorder, other sensory, communication or neurological conditions, or those with young children or babies. 

At this performance, you will find: 

  • Staff to help with finding your seats or getting around the theatre 
  • A relaxed attitude to noise 
  • A chill out area 
  • Lighting in the auditorium kept higher 
  • Reduced special effects 
  • No loud sound effects  
  • A relaxed attitude to moving around 

If you would like to discuss any of the accessible performances with our friendly Box Office team, please call 01603 630 000 or visit the box office in person. We 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. 

For more information