Deaf school students to perform Shakespeare’s The Tempest at Birmingham Rep

A group of students from Braidwood Trust School for the Deaf will perform The Tempest as part of the Signing Shakespeare project, alongside professional deaf actor Mia Ward, playing the role of Prospero.

The students aged 12-15 will perform Act 1 of The Tempest, using Total Communication, a mix of British Sign Language, oral expression, mime and other forms of sign language.

The performance comes as a result of the school’s involvement in the Signing Shakespeare project which was supported and developed through the long-term partnership between the University of Birmingham and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

There are over 50,000 deaf children in the UK and Shakespeare is the only named author that all children are required to study by the national curriculum. However, there is a lack of resources for deaf students studying Shakespeare in school.

Signing Shakespeare is an educational resource programme which brings together visual and active learning for the study of Shakespeare, to make it more accessible and address the gap in teaching provision for hearing and deaf students in schools.

Dr Abigail Rokison-Woodall, Senior Lecturer in Shakespeare and Theatre at the University of Birmingham and the co-lead of Signing Shakespeare said: “Having done a number of workshops with Braidwood School, we are delighted to be showcasing some of their excellent work in a performance at the Rep. We are thrilled that the students are getting to work with a brilliant professional deaf actor – Mia Ward – and are able to show audiences how richly sign language can convey Shakespeare’s words.”

The performance takes place on Thursday 18 July at 12:30 at the Door at the Birmingham Rep: Tickets are free but booking is required.

Andrea Huhle, Assistant Headteacher at Braidwood Trust School for the Deaf said: “Working with the highly creative and inspiring Signing Shakespeare team has been an incredible experience for our pupils. Being able to express the beauty of Shakespeare's words in British Sign Language while having the opportunity to work alongside hearing and Deaf professionals has made this an unforgettable experience for our talented young people."