Swive - Relaxed Performance Sensory Guide

Relaxed Performance – Sensory Guide Saturday 10th February 2024 at 7pm The Carne Studio Theatre, LAMDA

Running Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes with no interval.

Content warnings: This play contains strong language, some violence, open flames and blood.

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 changes

bright

or

sudden

lighting

Indicates a sad or potentially distressing scene

Indicates fighting, guns/weapons

or

use

of

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 Carne Studio Theatre by an usher.

This performance will take place in the Carne Studio 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.

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.

If you aren’t sure at any point during your visit where to go, please ask an usher.

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.

Swive 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 and slow flashing of the LED lights. Any fighting scenes in the play have been choreographed with a fight director so that the actors do not hurt each other.

Prologue There is strong language from the beginning of the play. Queen Elizabeth walks onto the stage with a candelabra with lit flames - this is safe and has been checked in the risk assessment. There are sounds of church organs and a whirring that underscores this scene which may be overwhelming.

Scene 1 No distressing action.

Scene 2 Princess Elizabeth finds out that her father has died. The scene is underscored by the noise of crows which could be unsettling.

Scene 3 Princess Elizabeth pushes Catherine Parr however, they are playfighting and this isn’t in an aggressive manner. Elizabeth talks about imagined violence and death.

Scene 4 Catherine uses strong language. Princess Elizabeth asks Catherine what a ‘whore’ is (a derogatory term used against women), which a maid has said that her mother was.

Scene 5 No distressing action.

Scene 6 Catherine and Princess Elizabeth’s voices are slightly raised towards the end of the scene when Catherine says that Elizabeth shouldn’t be in her guardianship any more.

Scene 7 Princess Elizabeth is locked in the Tower of London. She is in distress and shouting. There are bright lights and the loud sound effects of slamming doors. She rattles on the pillars in the space to show she’s behind bars, which makes a loud noise.

Cecil tells Elizabeth that Catherine Parr has died in childbirth.

Scene 8 Cecil loudly says that Thomas Seymour is to be beheaded. There is a loud screeching noise, and a bright flash of the LED lights to represent the beheading.

Scene 9 Mary, Princess Elizabeth’s sister, uses strong language as she accuses Elizabeth of trying to attack her. Mary shouts at Elizabeth at multiple points in the scene. Mary dies at the end of the scene.

Scene 10 No distressing action.

Scene 11 Queen Elizabeth runs into the scene away from the party - she seems to be in distress, as her dress is too tight and she struggles to breathe.

Scene 12 Katherine Grey and Queen Elizabeth are having a conversation where Katherine references having a nightmare where she can see her sister being executed. Elizabeth uses strong language, and is being controlling towards Katherine Grey.

Scene 13 No distressing action.

Scene 14 Queen Elizabeth comes onto stage with blood over her hands. She describes graphically how she killed a deer. Dudley uses strong language to describe something that Cecil has said about the Queen.

Scene 15 Queen Elizabeth reads out a pamphlet that has been circulated about a woman being in charge, which is very misogynistic. Cecil tells the room that Dudley’s wife has been found dead in a gruseome way, most likely murder. Dudley is extremely upset to find this out, and also because of Elizabeth telling him to leave as he could never be King. He shouts.

There are bright lights at the end of the scene.

Scene 16 No distressing action.

Scene 17 Cecil shouts at Queen Elizabeth as she is refusing to marry and to create a successor for the throne.

She tells Cecil that she doesn’t want to marry, as she knows the experience that her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, has had, with her husband sexually abusing, beating and imprisoning her.

Scene 18 The scene starts with Queen Elizabeth feeling sad and alone. Dudley brings in Katherine, who tells the Queen that she is pregnant. Elizabeth is extremely angered and describes this as treason. Elizabeth tries to hit Katherine and there is a lot of shouting and heightened emotions. Queen Elizabeth makes Katherine eat some pineapple, which at the time was believed to cause early labour or miscarriage.

There is strong language from Elizabeth about Katherine, and she tells Dudley and Cecil to take her to the tower. Elizabeth stabs Katherine through the hand with a fork which causes the character to be in a lot of pain. Cecil and Katherine leave, and Elizabeth appears to have a panic attack. Elizabeth and Dudley have a conversation that is upsetting as they love each other but can’t be together. Dudley leaves, and Cecil returns to tell Elizabeth that they have written proof that Mary Queen of Scots wants to assassinate her.

Scene 19 At the start of the scene Queen Elizabeth is talking to herself and describing how her mother had a miscarriage and then was executed.

Scene 20 No distressing action.

Scene 21 Cecil gives Dudley a death warrant on behalf of Queen Elizabeth, going behind her back. Cecil raises his voice at Dudley.

Epilogue Queen Elizabeth takes a chalice of her blood and pours it across the stage.

THE END