Accessible panto shows for everyone from Derby LIVE

Published: 11 December 2019

The traditional Christmas pantomime has something to offer the whole family. Accessible performances of Peter Pan at Derby Arena aim to make the magic and mayhem enjoyable for everyone.

Derby LIVE is pleased to offer a range of relaxed, British Sign Language (BSL) interpreted, captioned and audio described performances of the city’s biggest and brightest panto.

Created by Derby LIVE and Little Wolf Productions, the team behind Beauty and the Beast and Jack and the Beanstalk, this new pantomime has spectacular effects, barrel loads of laughs, and jokes to grab you hook, line and sinker.

The purpose-built panto stage and facilities at Derby Arena are fully accessible, and the venue has a changing places toilet.

Relaxed Performances
Relaxed performances offer an enjoyable environment for all, including children, young people and adults with disabilities, with altered sound and lighting effects to make the show more accessible. During the performance there will never be a full black out in the auditorium. There is also a quiet area outside the auditorium if audience members want to leave the room at any point, where they can relax before they are ready to return to the show.  During a relaxed performance everyone is encouraged to enjoy the show and express their appreciation and there is a relaxed attitude to noise and movement. A relaxed performance programme introduces all the areas of the Arena, and what is going to happen in the show, so there are no unwelcome surprises.

Relaxed performances of Peter Pan will take place on Wednesday 18th December at 1.30pm and Monday 30th December at 1.00pm.

Audio Described
Ideal for blind and partially-sighted people, audio description is a form of audio-visual translation, using the natural pauses in dialogue or between critical sound elements to insert narrative that explains what is happening on stage. This information is given to audience members through a headset. Free touch tours take place 75 minutes before the performance, with the chance to get up close to the set and costumes and often with a chance to meet some of the actors. Customers should let the Derby LIVE Box Office know if they wish to attend the touch tour. Tickets are free, but should be booked in advance.

Audio described performances will take place on Friday 13th December at 7.00pm, Saturday 21st December at 1.30pm and Sunday 29th December at 1.00pm.

British Sign Language
British Sign Language (BSL) interpreted performances feature a signer at the side of the stage who signs the dialogue from the performance. It is suggested that customers let the Derby LIVE Box Office know when booking where they would like to sit: directly in front of the interpreter or on the opposite side, looking across the stage.

BSL interpreted performances will take place on Thursday 12th December at 10.00am, Saturday 21st December at 6.30pm and Saturday 4th January at 1.30pm.

Captioned 
During captioned performances words appear on screens either side of the stage at the same time as they are spoken – ideal for those who are deaf, hard of hearing or if you’d just like to read along.

Captioned performances will take place on Sunday 29th December at 1.00pm and 6.30pm.

Derby LIVE is committed to making every visit as easy and as enjoyable as possible. Derby LIVE’s Sales and Information Centre provides a dedicated access team to provide help and guidance for customer’s bookings. The access hosts will assist with the booking, from getting the right seats that suit customer’s requirements right through to ensuring they are met on arrival at the venue. For more information on Derby LIVE’s access hosts visit www.derbylive.co.uk/access

Peter Pan will be on stage from Saturday 7th December – Saturday 4th January at Derby Arena, with tickets priced from £14.75. To discuss your access requirements and book tickets, call 01332 255800 or visit the Sales and Information Centre at Riverside Chambers, Full Street, Derby DE1 2FP.

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