Frequently asked questions

Is captioning like surtitling and TV subtitling?

Surtitling in theatre is generally carried out for opera and plays performed in a foreign language and will consist of the English translation (usually edited). It is intended for hearing audiences and features that would be helpful to a deaf audience such as character names, offstage noises and sound effects, vocal effects and repeated text are not given. Television subtitles are generally intended for deaf audiences and, whilst character names are not usually given (often because in close-ups it is obvious who is speaking), they are denoted by different text colours. Captions have so far tended to be 'roll-up' rather than 'pop-on' since it allows for more flexibility in outputting as close to the verbatim text as possible.

What is involved in the formatting of a script?

If STAGETEXT has been booked to caption a performance, the most up-to-date electronic script should be sent to them or direct to the captioner. If there is no electronic script (which is quite rare), the hard copy should be sent to STAGETEXT so that it can be scanned. The text layout is then 'formatted' by a qualified captioner according to agreed captioning conventions taught on the STAGETEXT Training Course for Theatre Captioners.

When formatting a text, captioners need to be able to:

* Ensure that the text presented is verbatim.
* Describe sound effects, music and offstage noises. 
* Describe vocal effects such as [BELCH] [LOUD YAWN] and features such as emphasis, volume, pitch and intonation.
* Indicate accents through labelling [IRISH] or phonetic representation of accent ["Did yow call, sir?"] when these are integral to the plot
* Indicate asides.
* Use appropriate punctuation for spoken as opposed to written texts.
* Use appropriate punctuation for indication of irony, sarcasm etc.
* Indicate verse, prose or song.
* Prevent premature disclosure of joke punchlines or plot points.
* Give the viewer a comfortable reading experience.
* Enable the viewer to experience the spirit, meaning and intent of the performance.

Several viewings of a DVD recording of the show, viewings of the live show and discussions with stage management are essential to accurately capture the performance. The total time to format a script, check and incorporate corrections is at least 60 hours, sometimes much longer depending on the complexity of the production and the number of times it needs to be checked at the theatre.

Download pdf of letter from the Performers' Alliance letter on the need for DVDs for assisted performances.

How are the captions produced in a performance?

The captioner cues the prepared text live to the caption unit as the action unfolds on stage. Should an actor miss a particular line, then the captioner will try and skip over it so that it doesn't appear on the caption unit, although this may not always be possible for a number of reasons. Similarly, if words are spoken in a different order, the captioner will try to follow the actor, depending on the speed of delivery. Timing of the captions are crucial so as not to pre-empt the actors, especially if the text involves a key punchline, joke or important plot point. It is important that the text does not to lag behind the actors too much because the ability of many people to hear the actors more clearly is then lost.

When outputting text, the captioner needs to make decisions about:

* the size of the text
* the amount of text delivered at any one time
* the speed of delivery
* the use of pauses
* the use of blank screen to enable viewers to watch purely visual action on stage

Can captions be delivered 'live' in a performance?

Sometimes this is possible if there are unscripted ad libs, for example in a pantomime. However, the quality suffers and text is shown at the wrong time or too much text is shown that it becomes more difficult for the deaf audience to follow the play with the same precision that captions give.

What is open captioning?

In open captioning, the text is displayed on a screen, on, above, below or beside the stage. Open captioning is an example of 'inclusive design' because everyone can see it, whether they have a hearing loss or not. Audiences with no recognised hearing loss can find captioning helpful, especially when the acoustics are poor, or where English is not their first language or when the performance involves dialect or strong accents.

Open captioning raises people's awareness of deafness and hearing loss, makes the production more accessible to everyone, and fosters inclusiveness. It is a relatively simple and cost-effective way to provide access to live performance for the maximum number of people.

With open captioning, audience members who are deaf, deafened or hard or hearing are not 'labelled' as such by being obliged to collect special equipment or sit in specially equipped seats. If the caption unit is placed in the right position, they can watch both the stage and captions in the same field of vision without moving their head from side to side or up and down. Hearing and non-hearing people can also sit together and enjoy the performance together.

What is closed captioning?

In closed captioning, the captions are displayed to the individual audience members using one of a number of closed caption devices. These include hand-held screens which the audience member holds throughout the performance; small screens installed on the back of the seat in front; and eye-level devices. A perceived advantage of closed captioning systems is that the captions are invisible to other audience members and do not interfere with the stage aesthetics. However, the disadvantages are that the deaf audience member has to collect a hand-held device or, in the case of seat-back screens, sit in a designated area of the auditorium in order to see them. Installing screens at every seat would be prohibitively expensive for most theatres.

In terms of viewing the performance, hand-held and seat-back screens present the challenge of constantly having to adjust the focus of the eye from the screen to the stage, which can be quite difficult, especially for people who wear different glasses for different tasks. STAGETEXT is investigating various approaches to closed captioning.

How is the position of the caption unit determined?

The position of the caption unit for a STAGETEXT captioned performance is the result of a discussion between STAGETEXT and one or more of several people representing the theatre, the director and the production company. The aim is to achieve maximum access with comfort for the deaf audience with the minimum influence on the artistic integrity of the performance and the actors involved. As we have discovered, each theatre has very different ideas about where this compromise should be reached. With goodwill all round, it is possible to achieve a satisfactory outcome for all concerned. We try to make the caption unit as unobtrusive as possible and interestingly, it is often thought to be less intrusive in the set rather than outside the set.

Do hearing people find the captions distracting?

Some theatres are concerned about the captions being distracting for the hearing audience. The feedback we've received shows that hearing people, on the whole, either find the captions useful (eg. if there are difficult accents in the play or if the language is archaic or unusual) or they are prepared to tolerate them, accepting that the captions are useful to deaf people. A small number of hearing people do not like them at all.

It is important that theatres make it clear in their literature and at the box office that a particular performance will be captioned and explain what. However, since only one or two performances are captioned during a run, it is not unreasonable to expect some degree of tolerance. STAGETEXT has had very few complaints about captioning from hearing people, in fact many of them like it, and comments from hearing people such as "Theatre is for the minority, not the majority" are, thankfully, very rare. Everyone who attends a captioned performance should be treated equally, hearing or not. It's part of the theatre's customer care.

Why don't theatres caption more performances? Often the captioned performance is on at a time when I am not available?

It's all a question of cost. With the big West End shows we have been able to negotiate two captioned shows - usually a matinee (which many older people prefer) and an evening (which many people working in London prefer). We try to carry out repeat captioned performances of some of these shows at regular intervals.

We have repeated the captioning of some plays and musicals when they go on tour around the country and we are again discussing how to make this a more regular occurrence so more deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people have an opportunity to see these productions.

There is a show that I would like to see with captions. What can I do to make this happen?

If a show has a short run, it is often too late to arrange a captioned performance after it opens. However, for shows that are clearly enjoying a long run, then a captioned performance may be feasible.

Several shows have been captioned because potential audience members have written to the Theatre Manager expressing an interest in seeing the production with captions and asking the theatre to contact STAGETEXT. We can't promise that this will always bring results, but it's powerful for a theatre to know there's a keen potential audience out there.

Why do I have to sit in a special place to watch the captions?

Choosing the most appropriate seat will enable the audience to watch the captions and the show in comfort, with minimal or no head movement. Each theatre and each show are different and there will be a selection of seating from which the best view of stage and captions is obtained. We suggest that you are guided by the booking agency or theatre box office staff who should be aware of the best seating arrangements when you book.

If I am in the wrong seat what should I do?

Before the show, there will be a 'Welcome' message on the caption unit. It may say "This evening's performance of The Show That Never Was will be captioned by STAGETEXT". You should be able to see the captions from your seat. If you can't, then speak to one of the theatre ushers or Front of House Manager who will help you.

How can I find out about captioned performances?

You can look at theatre websites and the 'What's On' pages of this website where show information is regularly updated. You can join our free email list for regular updates on captioned shows. If you prefer to receive information by post, you can add your contact details to the postal mailing list which is sent out every three months.

Information on captioned shows also appears on various websites and in magazines produced by deaf, deafened and hard of hearing organisations. If you attend a theatre where captioned shows are given on a regular basis, we recommend you put your name on the theatre's mailing list to receive information on future captioned shows at that venue.

Why are the letters on the caption unit not in different colours for different speakers?

STAGETEXT prefers to use amber letters for captioned shows. Unlike TV subtitles, we give the name of the character that is speaking and this should be clear enough. We try to make the caption unit as unobtrusive as possible (and interestingly, it is often thought to be less intrusive in the set rather than outside the set). Using a single colour helps in this regard. Our caption units are unable to display more than one colour during a production.

Can we have more lines, bigger letters?

Our high definition caption units offer the possibility of three lines of 75mm (3 inch) characters or four lines of 50mm (2 inch) characters. STAGETEXT prefers to use three lines.

What is a good captioned performance?

Captions aim to give deaf, deafened or hard of hearing people as close to the same experience as a hearing person obtains when going to the theatre. One of the things that deaf people learn after seeing several captioned shows is that the quality of plays and productions is not the same every time. Captions empower people to decide the quality of a play (quote - "We didn't talk about the captions; we talked about the deeper meaning of the play.")

Captions do not interpret the play; that's the job of the actors. The formatting of the captions will ensure that the audience experiences the spirit and intent of the production. The deaf audience will be able to come into the theatre knowing nothing about the play and be intellectually and emotionally involved as the drama unfolds.

STAGETEXT aims to offer high quality captioning for every performance it captions. We work with the theatre's production team to find the best possible place for the caption unit and, in a good captioned performance, the audience would feel that the captions were in a reasonable position to allow them to see both captions and stage in comfort.

STAGETEXT captions over 200 shows a year across the UK in around 65 venues. In addition, around 40 theatres now have their own captioning equipment and STAGETEXT has given them advice about equipment and training local people as captioners. In total, this means that around 500 captioned performances are delivered each year (April 2010 figure).

For further information on the STAGETEXT Training Course for Theatre Captioners, or details of how to purchase captioning equipment, please contact Lissy Lovett, Programme Manager.

Who can I thank for a good captioned performance? Or complain about a bad performance?

If you have enjoyed your visit to the theatre, then a letter of thanks saying why it was special for you and praising any particular theatre staff or members of the production will be warmly received.

We encourage you to send a copy of your letter to the STAGETEXT office so that we can see what aspects of our work we are doing well and what needs to be improved. The same is true if you have had a bad experience at the theatre. A letter explaining the reasons why it was bad and any efforts that you made to resolve the issue at the time will be seriously considered. Again we encourage you to copy the STAGETEXT office particularly if the problem has anything to do with captioning eg quality of captions, ability to see the captions, appropriate seat reservations etc. Your letter can be addressed to the Front of House Manager, who in most cases will be particularly involved in ensuring customer satisfaction.

I sometimes find the actors speak very quickly and I cannot read all the captions. Have you any suggestions?

Wherever possible, captioners strive to deliver the text verbatim, but when a particular section is spoken very quickly, or several people are singing different words in a musical, it is difficult to be able to read every word and keep an eye on the stage at the same time. Captioners may edit text if this is the case. You do not always have to read every single word to get the meaning of the sentence.

People who have seen several captioned performances tend to develop their own technique for reading the captions. Some like to read the bottom line where the latest text appears; others like to take in more text with a quick glance at several lines. Deaf people often made the same comment when TV subtitles were introduced, but after using them for some time found they became very skilful at absorbing the meaning of the subtitles and watching the programme at the same time. It's the same with captioned theatre. We know that positioning the caption unit as close to the stage as possible is a critical factor in being able to quickly read the captions and we work closely with the theatre artistic and production teams in striving to achieve the most suitable position.