The Everyman Cheltenham is a pioneer. Right now, a night at the theatre is a treat for many, but for those with hearing loss it can be an expensive night out where you have to hope body language helps unpack the dialogue you can’t hear. Enter, stage right the Auri sound system from Ampetronic.
These small white boxes, about the size of a Wi-Fi router, can transmit an Auracast Bluetooth signal in a circular direction of around 100 metres. And the signal is the same quality regardless of where you sit within that bubble. Which means theatregoers visiting a theatre with Auri installed can sit anywhere rather than hoping that someone remembered to switch on the loop in the designated area.
The Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham is one of a handful of theatres that has installed the Auri system, rubbing shoulders with the likes of the Sydney Opera House.
It’s part of a series of initiatives they have installed to make the theatre accessible to everyone. They include audio-described plays, signed performances and, several times a year, subtitled shows.
The latter might seem strange and conjure up images of words being projected behind the actors, or the cast running on holding cards with their dialogue written on, but it is a large dot matrix screen, similar to that found at bus stops and in doctors’ surgeries, that can convey several lines of text. Place on either side of the stage, it is unobtrusive and helps both hard-of-hearing and hearing alike with following the plot.
The Barnwood Trust provided the Everyman Cheltenham with a £10,000 grant, enough to install the Auri system, complete with assisted listening devices that can be borrowed from the box office for those without their own Auracast-enabled hearing devices, be it a phone, headphones, earbuds, or hearing aids.
Helping with the installation was the Accessibility Alliance.
These pebble-sized boxes have a small display screen that shows which Auracast people have tuned in to, and two 3.5mm jacks. This means they can be shared between two people with wired headphones or they can be turned into an individual loop set for those with telecoil-enabled hearing aids. Connevans.co.uk has a selection available, starting at around £17.40 for a single earhook, while stereo version can be bought for £27.59. See https://www.connevans.co.uk/catalogue/189/Neck-loop–neckloop–or-Personal-Inductive-Listening for more (this is not an affiliate link).
This means the Auri system is backwards compatible with older hearing aids that have a telecoil/loop. Unfortunately, those who had hearing aids that did not have a loop, such as the Oticon Opn range, are stuffed.
The Auri sound system is powered by the sounddesk – there is a Windows-based app that controls it and, as long as it’s turned on, it works.
And it is incredible.
I was a guest at the Everyman Cheltenham’s captioned and Auracasted performance of Murder On The Orient Express, held on Thursday, May 1. It starred Michael Maloney as Hercule Poirot, along with Bob Barrett, Mila Carter, Rebecca Charles, Debbie Chazen, Simon Cotton, Jean-Baptiste Fillon, Christine Kavanagh, Paul Keating, Iniki Mariano, Rishi Rian and Alex Stedman.
Set in 1934, on the famous train, the Belgium sleuth exercises his little grey cells to ascertain whodunit.
This was my first experience of a live Auracast, and the sound quality was such that just the act of being able to hear perfectly moved me to tears. Every beat, every twist, every bad joke … heard loud and clear.
It was bliss.
The actors on stage wear discreet microphones, just as they normally would. The sound desk receives the sound, just as they normally would, and then broadcast that in the auditorium’s speakers, just as they normally would. The only additional step is the Auri system Auracasting the sound to hearing devices.
The Everyman Theatre’s Auracasts can be chosen from the assistant app on a phone and it picks up the sound. Like all Bluetooth LE Audio transmissions, the sound quality is terrific, and streets ahead of the old loop systems.
The theatre’s accessibility team says feedback from audience members has highlighted the life-changing impact of these services.
Francesca Goddard, Corporate Partnership Manager at the Everyman Cheltenham, said: “We regularly hear from patrons who tell us these services are life-changing.
“At a recent event, a guest shared that it was their first time back at the theatre since losing their sight, describing the experience as completely transformative for their wellbeing and social engagement.
“We thank the Barnwood Trust for their generous support for the new hearing system, meaning that we can continue to break down barriers and ensure live theatre is accessible to all.”
Auri is an Auracaster that every theatre should be looking to install. It is no exaggeration to say this makes theatregoing sublime.
For more about the Everyman Cheltenham
The Everyman Cheltenham’s next captioned plays will be North by Northwest on Thursday 5 June 7.30pm, and A Small Enclosed Room on Thursday 10 July at 7.45pm (Irving Studio).
For more information about the Everyman Theatre’s accessibility initiatives, visit https://www.everymantheatre.org.uk/box-office/access/accessible-performances/, call the dedicated telephone line on 01242 705559, or email access@everymantheatre.org.uk.
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