Pirates: Signing Performance
As part of it's committment to novel and accessible productions of Gilbert and Sullivan's shows, MUGSS arranged a sign language interpretation of Pirates for the Saturday Matinee at UMIST this year. MUGSS teamed up with the Community Support Service, part of Manchester Deaf Centre to have the show translated into British Sign Language (BSL) by Andy Higgins and Sue Miles.
Andy and Sue took on quite a challenge with this production – G&S shows are complicated at the best of times – but MUGSS has a habit of taking the score at quite some speed. This year, the Major General (Pete England) did a reprise of the entire "I am the very model of a modern major-general" in 58 seconds. According to one witness:
"Andy made it through the first version of the Major-General's patter song, and during the one minute version did a very amusing shrugging and head scratching routine."
Hopefully I'll get some photos of the signers in action, and some comment from the audience in due course.
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