GOOD NEWS for blind theatre fans … The National Theatre is streaming audio-described broadcasts of three of its top productions.
Small Island was featured on June 18. Next in line – The Deep Blue Sea and Amadeus.
Lisa Burger, executive director and joint chief executive of the National Theatre said: “At the very heart of the National Theatre’s mission is the ambition to make theatre for everyone and that means making work that is fully accessible.
“Although our doors are currently closed, and our stages are empty, we wanted to ensure that those with sight-loss are still able to enjoy performances as we work to bring a catalogue of performances to homes around the world.
“We are proud to be one of the first arts organisations able to provide audio-description to our digital programming.”
Sonali Rai, broadcast and audio description manager at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), said: “We are delighted that the National Theatre have included audio-description on their on-demand broadcasts at a time when accessibility of entertainment services is more important than ever.”
Links to the audio-described productions can be found on the National Theatre YouTube channel.
- The Deep Blue Sea, 7pm, 9 July: Amadeus, 7pm, 16 July.
- The Deep Blue Sea. Helen McCrory (Peaky Blinders) playing one of the greatest female roles in contemporary drama and tells the story of a woman’s tempestuous affair with a former RAF pilot and the breakdown of her marriage to a High Court judge.
- Amadeus, which first appeared on the National Theatre stage in 1979 and was later turned into an Oscar winning film, follows rowdy young musical prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart played by Adam Gillen (Fresh Meat) and his tumultuous relationship with Court Composer Salieri, played by Lucian Msamati (Master Harold and The Boys).
- The productions will be available on demand for seven days after the original broadcast date.
