How a theatre is opening its doors for audiences with visual and hearing impairments

MONTREAL – For decades, Dominique Boucher stayed away from the theatre.

Boucher avoided being in the audience for shows because he has lived with a visual impairment for the past 40 years.

But as more theatres in Quebec experiment with performances that offer audio descriptions, sign-language interpretation and other measures to accommodate more people, Boucher is stepping back into the audience — and says he is eager for more.

“I’m close to retirement, and this could become one of my activities,” he said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

In recent years, Boucher has attended five productions, mostly at Quebec City’s Théâtre du Trident, which has expanded services for people with visual or hearing impairments over the past three years.

Véronic Larochelle, the theatre’s director of philanthropic development and partnerships, said the theatre has committed to offering at least one performance with audio descriptions and at least one performance with sign language interpretation each season, which runs from September to May.

Boucher says he appreciates what some theatres have introduced.

“I realize that with just a little adaptation, it’s amazing, because you can follow along,” Boucher said.

One experience that stood out for him was a theatre-and-dance production featuring a live audio description of what was happening on stage.

“The person doing the description was live, so they could help situate you,” he said. “I found it so enriching.”

The theatre also organizes sessions that allow audience members to meet actors and touch and feel props or costumes before the show.

Larochelle recalled getting to attend one of these types of sessions prior to a show that featured a talking dog puppet.

“It was important for audience members to touch the puppet and understand its size, its fur texture, and which actor would voice the dog,” she said.

Audio descriptions are also playing a role in productions with little or no dialogue.

Earlier this year, Montreal circus venue La TOHU presented a performance for visually impaired audience members. It included a live play-by-play of the actions unfolding on stage.

Preparing for the performance required extensive work, said La TOHU co-executive director Benoit Mathieu.

“It’s not like simultaneous translation,” Mathieu said. “You have to understand what’s happening on stage and understand the language of circus disciplines.”

Meanwhile, Montreal’s Théâtre du Rideau Vert experimented this year with a new format for one of author and playwright Michel Tremblay’s classic productions, “À toi pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou.”

The play included some actors with hearing impairments and featured sign language integrated throughout the production. During several key scenes, deaf performers moved to the centre stage.

“There was really a kind of choreography,” said Erika Malo, the theatre’s artistic development co-ordinator and accessibility lead. She said deaf audience members particularly appreciated those moments.

The production also required significant modifications, including redesigned lighting, costumes, sets, and more than 20 additional hours of rehearsal. Malo said the cost of the performance was roughly double that of a standard interpreted production.

“These measures are very expensive,” she said. “We don’t want that to stop us, but we can’t do it for every production in the season.”

Mathieu echoed those concerns, saying La TOHU would need financial partners to repeat the experience regularly. According to him, it would take tens of thousands of dollars to make this a regular occurrence every season.

Even so, theatres say audience demand shows accessibility is not a niche concern.

“We’re often asked in grant applications whether this responds to a real need,” Larochelle said. “Yes, it absolutely does.”

For Boucher, the investment is worthwhile.

“Yes, it’s an investment for them,” he said. “But it allows us to experience these works differently and truly appreciate them. (…) I think it’s great because there’s more and more openness.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2026.