Stagetext – a theatre group for deaf people
Stagetext is a registered charity which aims to deliver captioned performances across the UK for the deaf, deafened and hard of hearing.
Similar to subtitles on foreign-language films, the spoken word can be converted into visible text using captioning technology so that audience members can enjoy live performances that they would normally find difficult or simply impossible to follow.
In addition to displaying dialogue from the play, captions are also displayed for sound effects, music descriptions and other sounds on stage.
Locally both Richmond Theatre and the Rose Theatre, Kingston regularly show captioned shows. A number of local social groups are in the process of being set up, starting in Richmond – if you might be interested in joining, contact Charlie Swinbourne on 0207 377 0540 or email charlie@stagetext.org.
Captioning is all about developing new audiences, bringing former audiences back into the theatre and providing a more enjoyable experience for theatre-goers whether they have a hearing loss or not.
Being deaf can be an isolating experience so in setting up these groups, Stagetext are aiming to not only encourage more people to see captioned plays at local theatres, but also to enable people to socialise and mix together.
I recently attended my first STAGETEXT captioned play which I wrote about on my blog 🙂