Listening to the audio narration and touching the stage props with fingers are all ways to experience a theatre drama, acting as eyes for the visually impaired. Audio description, which has been widely used in film and television, is increasingly used in stage plays with a real-time interpreter narrating out scenes in the play, facial expressions, body language and movements of the characters.

ART:DIS (formerly known as Very Special Arts)’s recent music theatre Chachambo: Taking Flight was written, performed and sung by visually impaired artist Claire Teo. The landmark production demonstrated that persons with disabilities can also shine on the stage, and further enabled many others the opportunity to enjoy the performance with its numerous accessibility features, including live narration.

Executive Director of ART:DIS Ms Angela Tan added in an interview: “The touch tour allows the audience to touch the costumes and props of the stage play. This is available to not only visually impaired audiences but also people with limited mobility such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, etc. Coupled with real-time narration, such access provisions enable more audiences to fully immerse themselves in the story and receive an enriched theatre experience.”

Audio description in Singapore can largely be divided into three parts. Firstly a week before the performance, the theatre company sends documents or audio that explains the visual elements to visually impaired audiences. On the day of the performance, a touch tour is conducted before the play begins. Lastly, visually impaired audiences can download a specific application so that they can listen to the audio description in real-time during the performance.

With the support of Soundball Singapore, 73-year-old Mr. Zhan was able to experience the art of theatre again. After suffering from a retinal disease 13 years ago, his vision has been deteriorating. Now he can only see blurry lights and shadows. If they are static objects or people, he may even bump into them without realizing it. He relies on a white cane for daily activities, sharing: “When I still had my vision, I loved watching dramas and would even go abroad attend theatre plays.”

Once upon a time, The House of 72 Tenants was one of his favourite dramas. More recently, he watched 2:22 A Ghost Story by the Singapore Repertory Theatre and said: “I was excited to have the opportunity to watch a stage play in a theatre again.” Although his eyesight is not completely lost, he frankly said that he relies on audio guides 90% of the time. Before the performance, he also walked around the stage and felt the props and set.

Some theatres also allow guide dogs to enter. Audiences with such access needs can consult the box office before booking so that specific seats are allocated to the theatre-viewer such that it is convenient for their guide dog to accompany them to enjoy the performance.

Grace Lee-Khoo, founder of Access Path Productions, shared that when writing audio narration, blind spots will inevitably occur, resulting in inconsistencies in the plot. “For example during the play, a character suddenly picks up a knife on the table, but when did the knife appear? Who placed the knife there?” This knife may be the “elephant in the room” that is being ignored by the collective but the visually impaired would not know otherwise as it is difficult to communicate via audio. That is why gathering feedback during productions and rehearsals is important for staff to make adjustments to overlooked or under-explained issues in the audio guide.

Allowing guide dogs to enter the theatre, preparing touch tours and sponsoring tickets for audiences with disabilities are all changes theatre companies can make to create an inclusive theatre environment. Abroad, there are even dance performances that provide audio guides, allowing the visually impaired to hear the movements of the dancers through poetic language. Nevertheless it takes two hands to clap so when it comes to what extent theatre should make access provisions, there is no doubt that the audience must also be interested and willing to pay; otherwise the intention of providing accessibility will be misplaced and becomes just another comfortable place and time to escape Singapore’s heat.

Read the original review in mandarin here