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Having enjoyed reading the novel on which this play, Arthur and George, is based, it was good to get the chance to see the audio-described performance during its recent run at the Birmingham Rep, (in association with the Nottingham Playhouse). When a Birmingham lawyer George Edalji is convicted of a terrible crime he did not commit, who better to fight his cause than the expert crime writer and creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle? Adapted by playwright David Edgar from the recent Julian Barnes novel – and set in both London and here in the west Midlands - the play follows Arthur and George’s unlikely relationship based on the semi-fictional events of 100 years ago and as the billing rightly states ‘it is as gripping and as engaging, as any Holmes mystery’.
As ever, it was very useful to receive the detailed and informative, background information on CD (which is also available on the theatre’s website and reprised ‘live’ quarter of an hour before curtain-up) a few days before the show. Having had time to digest this comprehensive resume of the cast, their costumes and the stylised set, it meant that I got so much more out of the pre-show touch tour, which the Rep now always offers visually impaired patrons and their companions 90 minutes before each audio-described production. Moreover these introductory notes, as well as describing the various locations, explained the use of the images eg a rearing horse whinnying wildly, which are projected onto the back wall, and without this information I for one would have been rather baffled One particularly attractive feature of the Rep’s pre-show stage tours is that, whenever possible, Education and Access Officer, Selene Burn, works with the company to try and arrange for a number of the cast to meet VIPs and talk about their roles and costumes – in this case Edwardian attire - and once again we were not disappointed, so all credit due not only to Selene, but also to the actors who are prepared to be in costume and onstage well before they need to be, to chat to us. In addition to meeting some of the cast, that night’s describer Janet Jackson, along with Selene, showed us a number of the key props and took us on a conducted tour of the set. Normally the description is given by both Janet and her colleague Julia Grundy but as Julia was unable to be there on this occasion full marks to Janet for single-handedly bringing the visual onstage action to life through her timely and, immensely helpful, commentary.
The next audio described performance at the Birmingham Rep is the evening of 2 June, of Michael Frayn’s comedy Noises Off and, following the summer break the autumn run starts with the ever popular, Little Shop of Horrors with an audio described performance on the evening of Thursday 16 September.
Information on tickets, headsets and the pre-show touch tour, can be obtained in the usual way from the box office on 0121 236 4455.
