Roundtable - Sexuality And Disability On Stage With The 'A Bit Of Roll Play' Team

·31 min·3 clips

Sally Clay reveals how a 'disabled' car sticker sparked her realization that disability and desire are rarely equated.

The episode is a roundtable discussion on RNIB Connect Radio focused on the theatre production 'We Indulge In, a bit of roleplay' by Birds of Paradise. Hosted by an unnamed moderator, it features three guests: Emma-Jane McHenry, an audio describer; Sally Clay, an audio description advisor who is visually impaired; and Vanessa Coffey, an intimacy coordinator. The conversation begins with each guest explaining their role in the production, which tells the story of a young disabled man exploring his sexuality. Sally Clay opens by expressing excitement about telling a story that rarely equates disability with desire, sharing a personal anecdote about a car sticker to illustrate societal perceptions. Vanessa Coffey follows, revealing she never considered how audio description for intimate scenes might be poorly executed, emphasizing the need for nuanced descriptions. Emma-Jane McHenry adds that the production aims to raise awareness and support for the main character's journey. The discussion then shifts to gaps in media representation, with Sally Clay noting that sexuality and disability are either ignored or portrayed in overly sexualized, shock-tactic ways, lacking nuance. She also points out physical accessibility barriers for venues and censorship issues. Vanessa Coffey highlights the discomfort some actors feel when reading sexual content aloud, stressing the importance of comfort and empowerment. Emma-Jane McHenry details her approach to audio description, which involves creative collaboration with the cast, using recorded elements from dress rehearsals to capture breath and movement, and avoiding clinical descriptions. She emphasizes the need for audio description to be integrated and holistic. Vanessa Coffey explains her role in building intimate scenes through open conversations with artists about boundaries and consent. Sally Clay shares a story about asking a wheelchair-using performer about her physicality, which led to a strong bond and highlighted a lack of such discussions in the industry. The conversation touches on trauma, with Vanessa Coffey discussing techniques like de-rolling and sensory cues to help actors release intense emotions after scenes, referencing the book 'The Body Keeps the Score'. Sally Clay connects this to the unwanted touch often experienced by visually impaired people and the need for consensual touch. The guests explore how the production allows for exploring safe spaces, consent, and control in sexual environments, including the use of safe words from kink communities. Towards the end, they discuss their hopes for the audience, focusing on permission to feel, ask questions, and have conversations about discomfort. Emma-Jane McHenry provides practical details about the production's dates and accessibility features at Tramway in Glasgow.

As heard by us

RNIB Connect Radio covers a Birds of Paradise production that puts sex, disability, and audio description at the center.

RNIB Connect Radio talks through We Indulge In, a bit of roleplay, a Birds of Paradise theatre piece about sex and disability. The focus stays on access work, especially audio description, and on keeping the performers' own language, breath, movement, and feeling intact instead…

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Hear how a Birds of Paradise production takes a fearless look at sex and disability, with access built in.

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