The Rickmansworth Players recently put on two signed performances to ensure their shows are as inclusive as possible.
The Little Mermaid ran from November 20 to 23 at Watersmeet, with signed performances on the Thursday and Saturday afternoon.
The deaf-friendly performances saw a signer, called Wednesday, on stage right signing the whole performance. Wednesday had to memorise the entire show in preparation.
The group’s marketing manager, Sarah Rodrigues, told RICKYnews: “The signer was terrific. Lots of expression, not only on her face but throughout her whole body. A true performer and beautifully clear.”
The group are keen to make their shows more accessible, a motivation that stemmed from their performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time earlier this year.
Sarah said: “It [The Curious Incident] is about a young boy who is autistic, and the story is told through how he sees the world.
“We learnt quite a lot from that, and we really wanted to include those people who experience the world in the same way.”
The cast subsequently agreed that they would put on a ‘relaxed’ performance catering to neurodiverse people. This included making provisions such as having the house lights turned on and allowing audience members to move around and talk.
Sarah added: “We had a number of audience members come and see us and they absolutely loved it. It made it all so worthwhile.
“As time goes on, we will try to have relaxed and signed performances in all of our productions.
“I encourage other people to do the same; all it takes is a little planning.”
Sarah said that progress “doesn’t have to be everything at once – it’s baby steps”.
Find out more at www.rickyplayers.co.uk
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