IT’S CURTAIN up at the Wyvern Theatre for a new service aimed specifically at visually impaired people.

Yesterday, the theatre held its first performance with audio description in four years during the matinee performance of Agatha Christie’s Black Coffee, and it is a service it will soon be delivering more regularly.

Audio description involves visually impaired people wearing headphones so they can hear live commentary about the action on stage during pauses in the actors’ speech.

The rest of the audience is unaffected.

Richard Loftus, the marketing manager at the Wyvern Theatre, said: “This is part of the theatre’s ongoing commitment to improve accessibility for all members of the community.

“Earlier this year we had improvements to the access entrance.

“We have arranged two audio described performances of our pantomime, and we are also going to look at doing audio described performances for our forthcoming season too.”

The theatre has 25 headsets for audio description, four of which were used yesterday while hundreds of other members of the audience enjoyed the show unaware that some audience members were listening to a show with a difference.

Before the show, the people who had opted for audio description were also given an optional tour of the stage where they could touch the scenery and props.

The tour and audio description were both given by Chris Berry who has been an audio describer for eight years.

He watches the performances well in advance and writes scripts based on what he sees.

“I look for the gaps in the dialogue and describe the most relevant information,” said Chris, 48, who lives in West Yorkshire.

“You can’t describe everything because there is often not time.

“A good audio describer is invisible. You don’t hear me in that you don’t really notice me because my monologue will fit in those gaps seamlessly.

“I love it because it’s giving a service to people.

“I discovered my love of acting too late to do anything professional about it.

“This was a way of getting involved with professional theatre and providing a much needed service.

“It helps visually impaired people to enjoy theatre as much as a sighted audience does.

“This service allows them to glean the same enjoyment from a production because they know exactly what is going on,”

Before the performance, Chris who formerly worked in advertising and copywriting also gives a 10-minute introduction over the headset describing the set and characters about to come on stage.

Among the visually impaired people in the audience yesterday was Swindon 105.5 volunteer, Paul Burgess, who is partially sighted and registered blind.

The 62-year-old, of Penhill, said: “It is the first time I have ever attended a performance with audio description. It’s good this is available and they should do it more often.

“I enjoyed the tour of the set before the show. It was very interesting and it meant I could imagine exactly what the set looked like.”

Audio description performances of the Wyvern Theatre pantomime, Dick Whittington, starring Nigel Havers, will take place on January 2.

l Tickets are the same price as regular tickets.

Black Coffee is at the Wyvern Theatre until Saturday.

For tickets phone 01793 524481 or visit www.swindontheatres.co.uk.