Dundee Rep spends thousands making theatre accessible for ground-breaking play by disabled actors

A charity-backed play featuring disabled actors is set to take to the stage in Dundee.

The city’s Rep Theatre has been redesigned at the cost of £12,000 to make the 30 year old venue more accessible.

Blood Wedding runs at the Dundee Rep until 14 March and features wheelchair users and deaf actors.

A reworking of a classic Spanish tragedy, the play is a story of young love, rebellion and revenge.

The joint production by Dundee Rep Ensemble,the charity Graeae and Derby Theatre, is written by David Ireland and has subtitles projected on the backdrop for any members unfamiliar with sign language as well as audio descriptions.

Director Jenny Sealey, of the Graeae Theatre, is herself deaf.

Her previous work includes co-directing the London 2012 Paralympic Games opening ceremony.

She said: “The physical access is crucial but the biggest barrier in theatre is attitude.

"It's 2015 now and there's sometimes that attitude that we don't have the right to be on stage, and I think, yes we do.

"We are part of society, and we come with the richness of experience of having had to smash through barriers."

Nils den Hertog, head of production at the theatre, said the modifications had been a challenge, but would help with all future productions.

He said: "We had to create a larger entrance to the stage from the dressing room corridor.

"In the past when we've worked with disabled actors they had to be on stage before the audience came in. With this being such a big production that wouldn't work.

"There are quite a few theatre companies touring around the country and this will help access for all of them. It's a win/win situation for everybody."

The play runs at Dundee Rep until 14 March and then travels to Derby Theatre, the Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock, Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre, New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich and the Everyman Playhouse in Liverpool.