Company’s inclusivity a drawcard for local actor

North Shore actor Kat Glass has turned a disadvantage into a communication tool that will come in handy during children’s theatre performances in Takapuna over the school holidays.

“I’m hard of hearing and use hearing aids on stage,” says Glass (who prefers the pronoun they).

Dealing with hearing difficulties means focusing extra hard on what was going on, including through lip reading, and remaining “very present and engaged”. But this also gives a different point of view and an ability to connect with others in the same boat.

“I’m on a journey to see it as a super-power,” Glass says.

Performing in Tim Bray Theatre’s The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch, which opens a touring season this weekend at the PumpHouse Theatre, Glass and the ensemble cast have a busy time ahead. This includes doing special audio-described and sensory shows, suitable for children with special needs.

Glass can talk to the deaf and hard-of-hearing children in a way they relate to while also using skills built up in a decade of acting for stage and screen.

But doing theatre with compromised hearing is challenging. It’s a fast-paced environment, with music and cues to contend with.

“I particularly like working with Tim Bray Theatre, because accessibility is part of its kaupapa,” Glass says.

not to hire you.” Over time, they have become more confident.

“And being part of the LBGTQ+ community, we’ve had more of a focus in the arts community.”

Glass lives in Devonport where they love the sense of community and access to beaches. They came to acting from a dance and movement background, going on to study theatre at the University of Auckland.

The lively Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch production taps into that earlier skill base. The show uses a lot of puppetry to convey some characters. “I came into theatre from dance, and puppetry is a lovely blend of both.”

Glass plays a seagull and the lighthouse inspector.

Watch out me hearties... In an earlier show for Tim Bray Theatre, Kat Glass took the lead in The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate shows. On top of that, they have toured their own production, Alone, for three years. It is an award-winning sci-fi drama Glass was invited to perform at the Sydney Fringe Festival and festivals in New Zealand.

They hope to get funding to take it to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August. Work as a producer for Maumahara, a short film in te reo produced as part of a series, is another achievement that was premiered at the Maoriland Film Festival.

Speaking to the Observer in a break in rehearsals for The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch – a play based on children’s books by Ronda and David Armitage – Glass says a fast-turnaround three weeks of rehearsals were made easier by the familiarity many of the cast had with each