Harold Pinter double-bill in
British Sign Language

In Tandem Theatre Company is producing a double-bill of Harold Pinter's Mountain Language and Landscape in BSL. The performers are profoundly deaf, hearing impaired and hearing actors who use BSL. There will be a hearing actor at the stage-side giving a voice-over of the original text. This is a role reversal of the norm where actors speak the text supported by a Sign Language Interpreter.

The whole concept is a departure and logical progression from the way deaf/hearing theatre has been developing over the past 10 years. The role and inclusion of BSL in theatre had journeyed from that of mere translator through many forms of integrated deaf/hearing theatre and text-based pieces. The exclusive BSL translation of these two Pinter plays will take this process a stage further, providing deaf actors with a platform on which to consolidate their work and presence in main stream theatre, while increasing access to the arts for the deaf community.

The idea is inspired by the subject matter contained in Mountain Language. Given the history of the deaf community in Britain, where signing until recently was outlawed in favour of so-called "oralism", it is a play-in-waiting for a BSL realisation. Landscape, in contrast, is lyrical and reflective, allowing plenty of space for the power, depth and beauty of the BSL interpretation to be appreciated.

The production is being developed and directed by Jessica Higgs in consultation with Jenny Sealey (Artistic Director of Graeae Theatre). The cast includes Jeni Draper, Frank Essery, Neil Fox, Lee O'Brien, Caroline Parker, Steven Webb, and Simon Whitehouse.

Oval House, London SE11 29 November - 16 December

Tickets £8 (£5 Reductions)
Box Office 020 7582 7680
Fax 020 7820 0990
E-Mail: ovalhous@dircon.co.uk

Funded by the Regional Arts Lottery Programme

STAGETEXT

Geoff Brown, Peter Pullen and Merfyn Williams are three individuals with different degrees of hearing loss who have advocated for some time on the need for text generation (conversion of spoken or sung words to written text) as a means of increasing accessibility to arts and educational venues.

They have worked with the Theatre Development Fund of New York who offer captioned theatre performances in New York and arranged to provide two captioned theatre performances in London last March. Following the success of those performances they formed STAGETEXT in May of this year as a charitable company.

The script is prepared before the performance, using a computer programme that enables the script to be fed to a display sign. The captions are shown at the same time as the words are sung or spoken. Sound effects or off-stage noises can be included. This enables people with any degree of hearing loss to fully understand. The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is working with STAGETEXT and has arranged captioned performances in London, Stratford and other parts of the country. These are:

Captioned performances of The Duchess of Malfi are being arranged at theatres in Sheffield, Bradford, Bath, Glasgow, Stoke-on-Trent and Woking when the production goes on tour. Dates to be announced.

The Secret Garden is a musical based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett 24 January 2001, 7.15pm, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

Box Office: Tel: 01789 403403
Fax: 01789 403413
E-mail: patricia.boycott@rsc.org.uk

Performances with other theatre companies are being planned. For more information on STAGETEXT or to join their mailing list, please contact: enquiries@stagetext.co.uk

Address:
STAGETEXT,
75 Canfield Gardens,
London
NW6 7EA
Fax/Textphone: 020 7624 2161
Website: www.stagetext.co.uk