Relaxed Performance – Sensory Guide
Wednesday 10 April at 2:00pm
The Sainsbury Theatre, LAMDA
The running time is approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes including an interval.
Content warnings:
Contains depictions of and references to violence, death, gangs/gang violence, knife violence and sexual assault.
Relaxed Performances at LAMDA
• You are welcome to come and go from the theatre as you need
• There is a break-out room available, the Rittner Room
• House lighting is on low throughout, never going to full black-out
• Loud noises are reduced in sound level
• No strobe lighting is used
• You are welcome to react to the show however you may need
• At the end of this document is a show synopsis/sensory guide
Here is a guide to sensory information symbols in this document:
Indicates potentially loud or sudden noises
Indicates bright or sudden lighting changes
Indicates a sad or potentially distressing scene
Indicates fighting, or use of guns/weapons
Arriving at LAMDA
When you arrive at LAMDA, the box office is to your right. You should pick up your ticket here, using your name.
Toilets are located right next to box office.
LAMDA staff will be wearing LAMDA branded T-Shirts or lanyards. If you need any assistance whilst in the building, please ask them.
This is the Theatre Foyer. You may be asked to wait here until the house is open You will be shown how to get to the Sainsbury Theatre by an usher.
This performance will take place in the Sainsbury Theatre.
This is the entrance.
When you enter the theatre, an Usher will take your ticket from you. You are welcome to sit where you like
You can come and go from the space wheneveryou like. The house lights will stay on low throughout the show.
If you aren’t sure at any point during your visit where to go, please ask an usher.
There is a break-out space called ‘The Rittner Room’ which you are welcome to use at any point during the performance. It can be accessed via the stairs or lift in the main entrance foyer.
Before the show begins, the actors will introduce themselves and the characters they are playing.
The lights in the theatre will dim and she show will start. You can come and go as you need through the doors you entered by.
At the end of the show the actors will come on and bow. You are welcome to clap at this point if you would like.
Company Headshots
Scuttlers
Scuttlers Company Headshots
Below is a sensory guide for the performance that shows potential distressing actions in the play, split up by scenes
During most scene changes throughout the play, there is loud music or rumbling noises. All fighting scenes in this play have been choreographed with a skilled Fight Director so that the actors do not hurt each other. There is strong language in each scene.
ACT 1 Prologue
There are a lot of people moving across the stage as an introduction to the gangs. Theresa spots a man and shouts “Tear him, Tigers!”the gang punch and kick him, and then he is lifted by multiple people off the stage This has been choreographed to be safe
Scene 1
We learn that Theresa has taken Margaret in under her wing due to her family situation, where her mother was dating a man who tried to have sex with Margaret, an underage girl.
Scene 2
No distressing action
Scene 3
Jimmy grabs Thomas by the back of the neck
Jimmy later pushes Thomas over, kicks him and spits on him.
Tense machine noises play underneath the scene.
Scene 3 (continued)
Theresa and Thomas are getting into a bit of an argument, and Theresa knees Thomas.
Scene 4
Joe trips George and pins him to the floor.
George says he can’t be seen by his gang members, the Prussia Street gang, to be on the ground, so gets up and hits Joe in the face.
Joe has a sword that he holds out for the Tigers to see and swings it as they charge at each other.
Jimmy and Sean are tense and angry and are in each other’s face talking to each other.
Sean takes off his belt to fight Jimmy with.
Sean tells Polly to slap Jimmy, which she does a few times.
Jimmy is angry and grabs Thomas.
Scene 5
No distressing action
Scene 6
There is loud music as Theresa and Thomas dance in the pub.
Scene 7
No distressing action.
Scene 8
Margaret is upset that Thomas is with her and Theresa in the bedroom and walks out.
Theresa tells Thomas about how her mother died when she was younger and Theresa was left to look after her 4 younger sisters.
She doesn’t know where her sisters are but it’s likely that they also got sick and died
Scene 8 (continued)
Thomas pulls a knife out of his pocket and holds it between himself and Theresa
As the scene comes to an end, the thumping of the gang and the music grows louder.
INTERVAL
ACT 2
Scene 1
No distressing action.
Scene 2
No distressing action.
Scene 3
Polly and Margaret are surrounded by Jimmy and other Tigers. Jimmy grabs Polly and she thrashes as she tries to get away.
They try and grab at her clothes to tear them off - Polly is lifted into the air and taken off stage as she screams.
Scene 4
Theresa and Joe meet. They talk about their childhood and Theresa tells Joe that all their sisters died.
Scene 5
Polly enters and collapses on the floor. What she is wearing is ripped and she is bruised and bleeding.
Sean is angry and takes off his belt to fight Jimmy. They fight each other with their belts, which has been choreographed to be safe.
Sean puts the belt around Jimmy’s neck which is very distressing They finally let go
Scene 5 (continued)
As the Prussia Street gang comes, there is loud thundering noises.
Thomas runs forward from the Bengal Tigers gang and pulls out a knife.
A big fight breaks out and Thomas stabs both Joe and George with his knife. Jimmy and Sean kick Joe and hit him with a belt.
Scene 6
The scene is tense as Susan tries to keep Joe and George alive.
Joe dies from his injuries and Susan is very upset.
Polly enters with the police and she is angry that the Tigers didn’t support and protect her.
Scene 7
Sean, Jimmy and Thomas are in prison discussing what will happen to them
Polly is by herself in the streets with nobody listening to her.
The music gets louder and more intense as the scene comes to an end, before a blackout.
END
