‘See a Sign’ – Training for Deaf Actors Who Use British Sign Language as Their Preferred Language

This chapter explores the history of acting training opportunities in the United Kingdom for actors who are deaf and whose preferred language is British Sign Language (BSL). It touches on a wider history for deaf people with some background information and context. It discusses the experiences of the deaf Artistic Director of Deafinitely Theatre in creating plays over the last eighteen years with deaf actors and shares many lessons learnt and good practice. The chapter presents case study examples of deaf actors’ methods in understanding, translating and acting Shakespeare when performing at Shakespeare’s Globe, with examples of successful and not so successful approaches. It proceeds to recommend various ways of making acting training more accessible, effective and appropriate to the needs of actors who are deaf and who use BSL. This chapter offers a model for an acting program for deaf acting students, with a focus on developing BSL as a tool for enhancing shared communication and expression of performance.