Fairytale panto ending for Derby's deaf community children
Derby's Peter Pan pantomime had its own magical ending for members of the city's deaf community when they were invited to meet the stars of the show.
Larry Lamb (Captain Hook), George Sampson (Peter Pan) and Sarah Thatcher (Wendy) were among those who spent time chatting to deaf community members following a sign-interpreted performance at the Assembly Rooms.
The two-and-a-half-hour show was enjoyed by a number of deaf and hearing-impaired children and their families.
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Sign-language interpreter Sarah Gatford said: "They absolutely love it. Meeting the cast gives them an opportunity they wouldn't normally have in other places."
She added that giving the youngsters the chance to talk to the cast had become a tradition in Derby over the last 10 years.
She said: "Interpreting the panto is great fun but needs a lot of energy and preparation behind the scenes. There's always some ad-lib in the show so I need to build a rapport with the cast so I can try to work out what might be coming next!"
And Company Stage Manager Simon Gangloff admitted that a sign-interpreted show brings its own challenges: "As well as more lighting so that the interpreter can be seen throughout, this year we had to have extra technical rehearsals to avoid Peter Pan crashing into Sarah when he 'flies' onto the stage!"
He added: "The cast love the signed performances and meeting the youngsters.
"It adds an extra dimension to the show and the work they do."
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