Birmingham theatre to offer performances aimed at special needs.
Birmingham Hippodrome continues to demonstrate its commitment to accessibility through opening The National Theatre’s internationally acclaimed production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time with a specially-adapted Relaxed Performance on Monday 3rd July.
The performance heralds a new season of Relaxed Performances across the Hippodrome’s main stage including Jungle Book, The Snow Dragon and seasonal highlight, Birmingham Hippodrome’s panto, Cinderella.
The Relaxed Performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night Time is funded through Hippodrome CREATIVE and is the first Birmingham Hippodrome have offered in an early evening slot. The performance aims to give families, and adults with access needs, the opportunity to experience an award-winning production which contains some challenging content, as well as reflecting the slightly older age guidance (11+) for this production.
Relaxed performances are open to anyone, but are intended to cater for people with special needs who may find going to the theatre challenging, in particular people with an Autistic Spectrum Condition, learning disability or sensory and communication disorder.
To help make everyone feel welcome at Birmingham Hippodrome during a Relaxed Performance, fewer seats are available for sale, providing increased wheelchair capacity and giving audience members more space to make them feel more comfortable. Attendees are also welcome to walk in and out of the auditorium throughout a production. Certain aspects of staging are also specially adapted for the audience which include minor adjustments to the script, reduced noise levels and the use of raised house lights.
Liz Leck, Creative Learning Manager at Birmingham Hippodrome said: “We have been delivering Relaxed Performances at Birmingham Hippodrome for the last four years, and through each performance we learn more about how we can ensure the most accessible and welcoming experience for all our audiences.
“We are delighted to be extending our Relaxed Performances through our whole Season and to offer an evening performance which we hope will be welcoming to families as well as adults for whom attending a traditional theatre can often be overwhelming. Through opening the run for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time with a Relaxed Performance we are hopefully sending a clear message that everyone is welcome at our theatre.”
To find out more about this Relaxed Performance watch:
To book for a Relaxed Performance call 0844 338 5000†. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time runs until Sat 8th July at Birmingham Hippodrome. To find out more about future Relaxed Performances at the Hippodrome, visit their website
