RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey is joined again by Vidar Hjardeng MBE, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant for ITV News across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands for the next in his regular Connect Radio theatre reviews.

This week as we are still just inside panto season Vidar was reviewing the relaxed performance of Dick Whittington at the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre on Wednesday 25 January 2023 at 12 noon with audio description by professional Audio Describers Julia Grundy and Jonathan Nash.

Birmingham Hippodrome’s panto was paved with gold, as Marti Pellow returned to Birmingham as The Ratman in the ultimate pantomime adventure, Dick Whittington. Marti was joined by Birmingham panto legend Matt Slack, TV celebrity Dr Ranj and actress, singer and television personality Suzanne Shaw in this star-studded, action-packed adventure full of laughter, music and dance.

Vidar began by explaining to Toby what a relaxed performance is all about and how the show is made more accessible and friendly to everyone with audio description, British sign language, greater lighting levels in the auditorium, chill out spaces and a slight change to parts of the show too.

You can find out more about what a relaxed performance is all about by visiting the Official London Theatre website – https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/what-is-a-relaxed-performance/

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