On the 29th December I went to a captioned performance of Warhorse at the National Theatre.
As many of you may know I love nothing more than heading to the theatre with captions (by stagetext) but my experience is often varied as I have to rely on theatres to advise me on the best seating for optimal view of both the captions and the stage. Sometimes this works really well and others, well it's just hard work, mainly because there usually are two screens placed either side of the stage but the height and how far inwards they face can vary at different theatres. This can really make or break the enjoyment of the show. The further up or outwards the screens, the more you have to move your head each time someone speaks, missing vital movement on the stage (or just pure talent and craft) particularly as your eyes readjust each time it moves back and forth.
Today was different however with the additional use of captioned glasses, a scheme rolled out by the National Theatre, London who currently have them available for screenings of Warhorse and Hadestown and hope to have them readily available for all shows next year. This is something that I'm unaware of happening elsewhere in the UK.
When I arrived at the National Theatre I was bowled over by the support available. There was someone available to give me a full tutorial, they were available during the interval (personal service as they note your seating) and they were very open to feedback at the end. I've never seen such support widely given for deaf people, perhaps my only criticism would be whether any of them are able to sign for BSL users, that was something I did not ask.
So, my opinion of the captioned glasses? Invariably, mixed. Let me summarise using a classic pros and cons list.
Cons
1. It is bulky. There is no getting around that. The glasses themselves have bulky sides to them, the lenses are thick and connected to a wire and a black box which is safely hung around your neck which can get slightly weighty after a while.
2. There is no 'safe' place for them. I held the glasses in my hand or put them on my head for safety during the interval. Going to the toilet whilst balancing an expensive pair of captioned glasses was definitely an experience.
3. It's not great for glasses wearers. Although they have adjustable sides theres no getting around the fact that they are leaning on top of your glasses which feels heavy after a while. A few people noted issues with their varifocal glasses etc around me (I'm such a nosey person).
4. The glasses make everything seem flattened and slightly darker, losing some of the joy found in the theatre with real life actors. I felt a little like I was watching TV after a while as the glasses gave a flattened 2D effect.
5. It was difficult to feel comfortable as the bulky sides made it difficult to be aware when people needed to get out of the aisle next to you resulting in a slight apprehension of when this would be and annoyance when someone did this unexpectedly. Me personally, I rely heavily on my peripheral vision to compensate for my hearing loss so it did give me a claustrophobic feeling after a while.
Pros
I imagine after reading the cons list you're thinking, is there any pros ?! Well, in a word, YES. For me, I was delighted in the fact that the writing was clear, readable, (mostly) in time with the show. I am so thankful that someone is coming up with an idea that in theory, could be a solution to a problem that has unnecessarily hindered and continues to hinder deaf people.
Would I wear them again? Yes I would, but only alongside the captioned screens on the side of the stage so that I can rest my face from the weight of both glasses (personal and captioned) during the show.
In conclusion, my opinion is that captioned glasses has so much potential but for me, it's not quite there yet. But now, having had the experience, having tried this technology, I have feelings of not only happiness but also enlightenment and a sense of achievement as I realise that other people care about equal access just as much as I do. Thank you.
If you'd like more information about the captioned glasses at the National Theatre then have a look at this; https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/your-visit/access/caption-glasses .
