Of Mice and Men at Derby Theatre (With Creative Audio Description!)

Last week, I was kindly invited by Derby Theatre to watch and review Of Mice and Men, which is currently showing there. Before I start this review, I have a confession to make: Of Mice and Men is not my favourite book. I understand why it’s an American classic, but I don’t love it. However, they tempted me by the promise that the show would include creative audio description. This was enough to pique my interest and so off I went to the train station. If you read this post and wonder why there are no photos, it’s because I completely forgot to take any!!

Before we get to the show, let’s have a look at the theatre from an accessibility standpoint. Derby theatre has step free access, and wheelchair users can book accessible seating. There are automatic doors, and the ticket counter has a lower section for wheelchair users. Any disabled visitors can join their access scheme, which means they can book seating in a location that best meets their access needs, without having to pay extra. This could mean a visually impaired visitor getting a seat closer to the front so they can see better. They have a very detailed accessibility page on their website which contains a huge amount of information.

I personally found the team very helpful. I had a quick look at the theatre before I arrived and realised it was inside a shopping centre. With only 30 minutes to get from my train to the theatre and into my seat for the show, I did not have time to be looking for it in a massive building. When I called them, they gave me very specific information about where I could get dropped off, and an entrance that can be accessed from the street.

The Performance

From the opening of the show, it is clear that this cast is going to deliver a performance that will be difficult to forget. From George, often angry and dismissive, but still a dreamer, to Lenny, who idolises his friend, these characters will not let you look away. The harsh reality of life in 1930s America is unavoidable. If you’ve read the book, you know what will happen to their dreams. Yet when it comes, there is no denying that it still hurts.

What struck me most about the show and the creative decisions behind it were the casting choices. The actor playing Lenny, for example, has a learning disability. Although in the book Candy has one hand, in this performance he is blind, and is played by a blind actor. Getting to see disabled people playing disabled roles elevates the experience, in my opinion, as you can’t help feeling an even deeper discomfort when their characters are treated badly because of this. It is more real, somehow, and as an audience you feel it.

This was a cast who took the material and delivered a wonderful performance, and I’m so glad that I didn’t let my ambivalence towards the book discourage me from going.

Creative Audio Description

Including creative audio description was an interesting choice. Unlike traditional audio description, where blind viewers hear visual information delivered through a headset by an objective narrator, creative audio description is delivered by the cast in character. I’ve seen this done before, where it has been woven into the dialog of the script itself, so that blind and sighted audience members get the full experience. In this show they went for a slightly different approach. I still had to wear a headset to hear the description, keeping it separate from the play overall; however it was delivered by the cast in character.

In all honesty I’m not sure what I think of this. Creative AD can feel natural and beautiful when it is part of the script and an immersive experience, and I always appreciate the more impartial, disconnected narrators as well. This in-between, neither one nor the other, felt awkward in places. It felt strange to hear the cast speaking to me in character, but not as part of the main script. If anything, it drew my focus away from the performance, rather than bringing me closer to it.

Yet I don’t think we should dismiss creative AD out of hand. The point of theatre is to push boundaries and try new things. This is the only way art will evolve. How can we know which ways of delivering AD work best in which situations unless we try new things. We can’t, and blind people deserve to have access to a range of experiences. I don’t know that it worked for me in this case. But that doesn’t mean it won’t work for other blind people. In fact I expect it will. If you take twenty blind people and ask them for their opinion on the best way to deliver audio description, you will likely get twenty different answers. I would encourage anyone who is curious to get a ticket and watch the show. It’s a really beautiful performance and definitely worth taking the time to watch.

My rating: 4 stars

Of Mice and Men is showing until the 1st of March, and you can get your tickets here.