The Laughing Horse’s Free Festival has launched it’s first programme of BSL Interpreted shows today, opening up Free and PWYC shows to deaf audiences for the first time.

The hurdles for arranging interpreted shows at venues that operate on a very limited budget are the high cost of an interpreter for the performance, and also the availability of interpreters who are able to interpret for shows, particularly comedy.

Thanks to funding this year form the Fringe Resilience Fund, we are able to do this for a number of shows selected that have been selected by deaf audience members.

This allows us to open up low-cost and free shows to deaf audiences, and expand the number of interpreted shows across the fringe.

Also, as part of this programme we will have shadow interpreters at some performances, with an aim to get more interpreters able to work at Fringe shows in future years which will mean the Fringe is more accessible to audience members who miss out on a large proportion of what is available at the Fringe.

The performances currently being interpreted are:

Martha McBrier: Who Knew? - Aug 13 @ Dragonfly – 4.30pm

Dan Tiernan: Cherub - Aug 16 @ Counting House – 9pm

Dave Chawner: Mental - Aug 12 @ Cabaret Voltaire – 5pm

Diane Spencer Slid Off the Turkey - Aug 17 @ Counting House – 9.15pm

Martin Mor - the Antidote Aug 16 @ The Pear Tree – 7.30pm (pictured)

Game On 3 Aug 12 @ The Three Sisters – 2pm

Disabled Cants Aug 16 @ Bar 50 – 5.30pm

Laughing Horse plans to add three more shows to this, subject to finding availability of further interpreters. An up to date listing is available here: https://freefestival.co.uk/BSLInterpretedShows.aspx

This year the Free Festival has shows that are both Free & Unticketed, and ‘Pay What You Can’ (PWYC). For PWYC shows audience can purchase a ticket in advance, at a price they choose to guarantee entry - or audiences can still turn up for free at the venue to get in free & unticketed. No tickets are sold at the venues or within 30 minutes of a show starting. PWYC allows audience to reserve seats for as little as £5, or £2.50 for many shows – but also allows people who wish to contribute more to performers to do so, benefitting the performers even more after some very difficult years.