Webinar: Theatre Interpreting: the performance

Presenter: Michael Richardson

Theatre Interpreting: the performance

This webinar is one of two that explore interpreting in a theatre context.  The focus here is sign language interpreted performances (SLIPs).  In the second (in January 2020), the focus will be interpreting in a rehearsal room.

Both sessions are based on research with deaf and hearing people carried out by the presenter as part of his PhD project.  The research that will be presented in this webinar interrogated the effectiveness of the standard model of the SLIP, and explored means by which SLIPscould be made genuinely accessible to deaf people.

During this webinar I will propose criteria for measuring the effectiveness of an SLIP in providing accessibility for deaf spectators.  I will then explore factors that influence the achievement of that effectiveness.  Subsequently I will consider actions that can be taken not only by interpreters but also by theatre venues and production companies to ensure that the delivery of SLIPs is effective in providing accessibility.

I will conclude this webinar by concentrating on the role of the interpreter during an SLIP.  Learning objectives can be split into three groups: