Working with deaf and disabled performers: An investigation into directing process and theatrical interpretation

There are over eleven million disabled people in the United Kingdom, yet it is still rare to see a deaf or disabled actor playing a lead role in theatre. Arts Council England (ACE) recognise that work with deaf and disabled performers has become the domain of a few specialist companies (Bazalgette, 2014), and its recent strategy urges arts organisations to share the responsibility for increasing diversity equally across all minority groups (ACE, 2015, p.4). This practice based research investigates the implications, for a director, of working with deaf and disabled actors for the first time. It reflects on the rehearsal and performance of Couple, a play with five actors including a deaf actor and an actor with cerebral palsy, which incorporated BSL and English. The complex process of making theatre that is accessible to actors, regardless of ability/disability, is discussed in regard to recruitment, casting, script, language, physicality and acting. This study examines the principles that guide inclusive practice and concludes with recommendations for supporting and resourcing directors to increase diversity in their work. It offers insight into ways to maximise the impact of ACE’s diversity strategy in relation to deaf and disabled actors in the wider theatre community.