Access Information for Spring/Summer 2014

Access Information and Performances for Spring/Summer 2014 Making Theatre Accessible To Everyone.

T: 0121 236 4455 www.Birmingham-rep.co.uk

Access Information and Performances for Spring/Summer 2014

Making Theatre Accessible To Everyone.

We offer many services for disabled customers with mobility, hearing or visual support requirements. To help you to find out about what we have to offer, we’ve listed all of our current access services and opportunities in this leaflet.

Assistance Animals Guide dogs are welcome throughout the theatre and can be taken into the theatre or left with a member of staff during the performance. Please let us know if you need this service when you make your booking.

Audio Described Performances Our Audio Described Performances offer a live description of what’s happening on stage in addition to what the actors are saying. This is done using headphones that you can borrow from The REP. You will need to pre-book your headphones through our Box Office using a returnable deposit.

We recommend that you are in your seat at least 15 minutes before the show starts so you can hear the full description of the set and costumes.

Touch Tours Where we provide Audio Description we will also offer a pre-show Touch Tour. Touch Tours give you the chance to see and touch the costumes and set for the play you have come to.

Touch tours are free, but places are limited so advanced booking is recommended.

Assisted Hearing Services In Our Theatre We have a modern infra red Hearing Assistance system in all three of our theatres spaces. This is available to all visitors to The REP.

At The Counter All of our counters are fitted with hearing loops and several members of our Front Of House team are able to communicate using British Sign Language.

Sign Language Interpreted Performances Many of our shows will have BSL Interpreted performances. The interpreter usually stands on the right hand side as you face the stage. The seats with the best view of the signer are reserved for members of our Access Register, so please let us know if you need to book these seats when you contact the Box Office.

Captioned Performances During a Captioned Performance, the actors’ words appear on screens at the same time as they are spoken. The seats with the best view of the screens are reserved for members of our Access Register, so please let us know if you need to book these seats when you call the Box Office.

Relaxed Performances Relaxed performances are specifically designed to welcome people with a learning disability, Down’s Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Condition or sensory and communication disorders. There is a relaxed attitude to noise and movement and some small changes made to the light and sound effects.

Wheelchair Seating Wheelchair seating is available in all our theatre spaces.

Easy Physical Access All our theatre spaces can be reached from the ground floor as can our box office, cloakroom and shop. Lift access is available to all levels of our theatre.

Accessible Toilets Accessible toilets are available on the ground floor and mezzanine levels of the foyer.

Accessible Parking There are two drop-off bays on Cambridge Street (behind the theatre) for people with specific access requirements. Blue badge parking is available at the Brindley Drive car park near to the theatre.

Discounts And Concessions Complimentary tickets for an assisting companion can be booked by disabled customers who require support. Disabled customers are entitled to concessionary priced tickets where available.

Information In Different Formats Large print versions of our brochure and other marketing information are available. We also have an audio version of our brochure that you can listen to on our website or as a CD. The best way to receive the format you need is to join our Access Register so we have a record of your needs.

How to ensure you find out about the latest access services and opportunities Join our Access Register and gain access to information in various formats (e.g. large print brochures) and the ability to book seats with the best view of the closed captions or interpreter.

You can join The REP’s Access Register by signing up online or by calling us on 0121 236 4455.

Access Performances for Spring and Summer 2014:

The Dishwashers – 31 Jan to 15 Feb Sat 8 Feb, 2pm – BSL Fri 14 Feb, 7.30pm – CAPTIONED Sat 15 Feb, 12.30pm – TOUCH TOUR Sat 15 Feb, 2pm – AUDIO DESCRIBED

Frozen – 7 to 15 Feb Every performance contains a mixture of intergrated IN EAR and LIvE AUDIO DESCRIPTION. 15 Feb, 2.45pm – CAPTIONED

Never Try This At Home – 27 Feb to 15 Mar Mon 10 Mar, 7.45pm – RELAXED PERFORMANCE Wed 12 Mar, 7.45pm – BSL Thu 13 Mar, 6.15pm – TOUCH TOUR Thu 13 Mar, 7.45pm – AUDIO DESCRIBED Fri 14 Mar, 7.45pm – CAPTIONED

Little Red Hen – 15 March Sat 15 Mar, 2pm – RELAXED PERFORMANCE

The Threepenny Opera – 27 Mar to 12 April Every performance from 27 March to 12 April – BSL, AUDIO DESCRIBED and CAPTIONED

Circles – 9 to 24 May Mon 19 May, 8pm – CAPTIONED Thu 22 May, 1pm – TOUCH TOUR Thu 22 May, 2.30pm – AUDIO DESCRIBED Thu 22 May, 8pm – BSL

Khandan – 22 May to 7 June Tue 3 Jun, 7.45pm – BSL Thu 5 Jun, 2.45pm – CAPTIONED Fri 6 Jun, 6.15pm – TOUCH TOUR Fri 6 Jun, 7.45pm – AUDIO DESCRIBED

A Woman In Mind – 13 to 28 June Thu 26 Jun, 2pm – CAPTIONED Thu 26 Jun, 7.30pm – BSL Sat 28 Jun, 6pm – TOUCH TOUR Sat 28 Jun, 7.30pm – AUDIO DESCRIBED

Our BSL interpreters for this season are Harjit Jagdev and Mary Connell.

This season we are proud to present two plays that have been developed with a mixture of BSL, in-ear and live audio description integrated into the performances.

Frozen – 7 to 15 February Cast includes Jean St Clair.

One sunny evening, ten-year-old Rhona goes missing on the way to her grandmother’s house.

Her mother, Nancy, retreats into a state of frozen hope.

First performed in 1998 at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Frozen won the TMA Best New Play Award, was nominated for a 2004 Tony Award for Best Play, and won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Fingersmiths’ production brings a new dimension to Frozen, opening it up to a wider audience. Developed in collaboration with National Theatre Studio, this production will see a cast of four deaf and two hearing actors bring Fingersmiths’ visual and physical theatre style to the play. It will be performed in British Sign Language and spoken English.

Running times: Act 1 – 1hr 19mins, Act 2 – 46 mins Total running time including interval: 2 hrs 25 mins

The Threepenny Opera – 27 March to 12 April In a world where evil goes unpunished. Money is corrupt. The law is fickle. Lowly souls remain on the poverty line. It all sounds rather familiar doesn’t it?

The New Wolsey Theatre’s Peter Rowe and Graeae’s Jenny Sealey have joined forces once again to bring you their anarchic version of Weill and Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera. You’ll be occupied by comical characters, and seduced by well-known songs such as Mack the Knife and Pirate Jenny.

Directors – Peter Rowe and Jenny Sealey Designer – Neil Murray Additional Requirements If you have access requirements not mentioned in this leaflet, please contact us on access@birmingham-rep.co.uk or by calling 0121 236 4455 (Typetalk – 18001 0121 235 4455) and let us know how we can help you.

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