The Everyman – it’s for Everyone. In our theatre, we work hard to ensure that this is true, particularly at Christmas time. It’s the season of welcome! This year’s Panto Red Riding Hood is our most inclusive ever. We’re collaborating with professional facilitators alongside our amazing cast, crew, technical, production, creative and in-house theatre staff. It takes a team effort as the access work for the theatre begins long before and ends long after the audience cross the threshold and the show takes to the stage!
“The experience of an event begins for its audience when they first hear about it and only finishes when they stop thinking about it” – Andrew Haydon.
For our blind and low-vision audience, we offer a facilitated audio-described performance and touch tour on Friday 3 January at 1.30pm. The touch tour takes place an hour before showtime when our blind and vision-impaired audience have the chance to encounter some of the props and costumes as well as meeting one or two members of the creative team. They are guided by our wonderful facilitator Bríd Ní Ghruagáin. For the show itself, customers can avail of a specialised headset, supplied by Cork City Council, to experience Bríd’s live narration of the action and craic onstage.
For our d/Deaf customers, we’ve an ISL-interpreted performance on Saturday 4 January at 1.30pm, signed by The Everyman stalwart and evergreen Panto star, Ray Greene. Proud to say, Ray has been collaborating with The Everyman for almost a decade to ensure that a selection of our shows, tours and Panto performances are accessible to our d/Deaf patrons.
Ray is also a fantastic advocate for accessibility in the arts in general and had this to say about The Everyman’s access performances of Panto: “I thought it was amazing and emotional, and just want to say thank you for your work making the theatre accessible to everyone. For me a massive thing is seeing family members relaxing knowing that they don’t have to be responsible for their child/partner/sibling etc be it understanding in sign or what’s going on that they can’t see or just being able to get and walk around or just be allowed to be themselves. It’s very profound stuff!”
Last but not least, are the relaxed performances. These shows open up access and offer a way for everybody, whatever their needs and age, to be in the same public space together without fear of judgement. Relaxed performances involve adjustments to the theatre space, production and performance in order to accommodate customers’ additional needs. These shows make us – the theatre makers, and audience too – rethink how we receive theatre and respond to it! This year, The Everyman’s first ever relaxed performance of Panto for schools is happening on Friday 10 January, 10am – oh, yes it is! We also have a public relaxed performance on Sunday 12 January at 11am. Relaxed performances are specially suitable for people who are autistic and neurodiverse and everyone – and their dog! – is welcome ; )
For more info, check out our website
It’s P’AWESOME!
