Vision- and hearing-impaired theatre-goers will experience the production of a lifetime when University of Queensland PhD candidate Caroline Heim presents The Miracle Worker at the Brisbane Powerhouse.
Ms Heim, of Crossbow Productions, is trialling the revolutionary theatre experience, offering vision-impaired attendees the chance to take a tactile tour of the stage and literally get a feel for the performance.
Specialised hearing aids will be provided for the hearing impaired, and the entire production will also be presented in sign language.
Ms Heim said the event would be “unlike any other staged in Brisbane—inclusive, inspirational and life-changing”.
“I have always wanted to create theatre that is accessible for all. For this purpose, my theatre company has always produced mainstream plays that attract a broad audience,” she said.
“During our last production, we had a number of hearing-impaired people that hadn’t been able to attend the theatre in years because of their hearing impairment.”
The performance captures the essence of communication, discussing Helen Keller’s attempts to communicate with the world, complemented by a themes on parenting and the importance of language in how we learn.
To ensure an exciting and entertaining experience for all, sight, touch, smell and hearing are used to tell the story, which Ms Heim said would add layers of meaning that everyone could enjoy.
“The play is advertised as a mainstream play that anyone can attend, and I’m not attempting to create a specialised experience just for the deaf and blind,” Ms Heim said.
“I am normalising signing as a language of the stage with equal importance to spoken language. The sign language interpreters don’t stand at the side, they are part of the action. We were fortunate to find fine actors who are also sign language interpreters.”
While other theatre companies have trialled tactile tours or have provided hearing aids, this is the first time Ms Heim knows of that a combination of tactile stage tours, hearing aids, and interpreters will be used to enhance the theatre experience.
“The project is creating a lot of interest in the vision and hearing impaired communities, and the response from Deaf Services Qld, Vision Australia and members of the vision and hearing impaired community has already been extremely positive,” she said.
“Groups and individuals are making inquiries daily, and groups from Sydney are already booking tickets for the performances. I have even had emails from individuals who are deaf and blind who want to ‘see’ the play.”
But the fun doesn’t end when the final curtain is drawn.
Ms Heim, who plays Keller’s teacher Annie Sullivan in the play, will make a quick costume change to fulfil her part as the after-show discussion facilitator, allowing audience members the chance to share their stories.
Ms Heim will record these and use them in her research into audience contribution and making cultural events mainstream for the disabled.
“I hope the project will not only raise awareness of those living with vision and hearing impairment, but also set a standard of accessible theatre for all,” she said.
The Miracle Worker plays at the Brisbane Powerhouse June 17-20.
Tickets are available from the Brisbane Powerhouse website. Complimentary tickets will be given to pensioned vision- and hearing-impaired people.
Media: Caroline Heim (0419 469 772), or Amanda Sproule at UQ Communications (07 3365 2339)
