As Wiltshire Creative celebrates 50 years of Salisbury Playhouse, their latest production of Romeo and Juliet has done far more than retelling one of Shakespeare's most famous stories.
Romeo and Juliet, reimagined
Directed by Artistic Director Gareth Machin, this ambitious production reimagined the classic tragedy within the unique architecture of the Playhouse itself, transforming the entire venue into the Capulet Mansion. Audiences were invited to move throughout the backstage, indoor, and outdoor spaces as the story unfolded around them, creating a truly immersive theatrical experience unlike a traditional seated performance.
Bringing together a professional cast, Wiltshire Creative's Stage 65 Youth Theatre, and over 100 community cast participants, the production placed collaboration and community at its heart.
But alongside the scale and ambition of the production sits another equally important focus: accessibility.
Theatre experience for everyone
For Romeo and Juliet, Wiltshire Creative has embraced an innovative audio delivery solution: Silent Disco equipment! Attendees were provided with Silent Disco King headphones that were compatible with hearing aids, and they were also given time before the performance to test the different headphones available and select the listening experience that works best for them.
Feedback from after the shows demonstrated just how beneficial the use of Silent Disco headphones was for the attendees:
“I have profound deafness and wear hearing aids. Great care was taken in ensuring the headset worn over these aids was working and audible for me.”
“The headphones were a good improvement for me over the typical sound in the auditorium and I would love to see them implemented in more shows because I could hear so much better!”
This thoughtful approach recognises that accessibility is not a one-size-fits-all solution. While many theatres already offer induction loops, data from one of Wiltshire Creative’s workshops showed that four out of five hearing aid users preferred using headphones over their hearing aids over loop systems.
By combining technology with audience feedback, Wiltshire Creative is helping create a more inclusive theatre environment for everyone.
Technical and awareness limitations
While the production of Romeo and Juliet showcased how the adoption of Silent Disco equipment can be transformative for accessibility, it also highlighted some current technical and awareness limitations.
Throughout the project, Wiltshire Creative and Silent Disco King worked closely to accommodate a wide range of hearing needs. One key finding was that many audience members who wear hearing aids did not identify themselves as requiring accessible support and therefore did not notify the box office ahead of the show, despite pre-show communications outlining the listening options available. This showed that raising awareness on accessibility is just as important as providing the solution itself.
The team also noted that the decision to use headphones initially caused some concerns. The core disagreement stemmed from a fear that the headphones would create an insular, isolating experience for attendees, thereby undermining the sense of community that defines live theater. The production team ultimately achieved a consensus to proceed, recognising that headphones represented the only viable way to resolve the strict constraints of the Playhouse. Feedback from the attendees however indicated that the headphones successfully delivered perfect audio without causing the isolation originally feared by the team.
“Headphones were brilliant and gave an intimate experience for the audience. The addition of music really created the immersive atmosphere.”
Unexpected technical flexibility
This production also revealed unexpected flexibility within the technology. Some audience members chose to connect the receivers to their own high-quality headphones, demonstrating that attendees often have individual preferences for how they experience audio.
One of the biggest takeaways was that accessibility technology is still evolving. As immersive productions become more common, venues and technology suppliers are continuing to learn how different hearing devices interact with wireless audio systems. While the technology itself is compatible with many hearing aids, there remains a wider lack of awareness and technical understanding across the industry.
Based on the success of the show, Wiltshire Creative recommended the access working group format to other production companies and theatres and committed to embedding user testing directly into early production and planning meetings for future projects to bridge the gap between technical execution and audience communication.
Laying the groundwork
At Silent Disco King, we're incredibly proud to support productions that are pushing boundaries and exploring new ways to make experiences more immersive and inclusive.
The production of Romeo and Juliet demonstrated that technology is not there to replace traditional theatre experiences; it's there to enhance them and create opportunities for more people to participate, engage, and enjoy live performances.
Wiltshire Creative has expressed interest in using the headphones for smaller-scale projects in 2027. As they continue to explore future accessibility opportunities, Romeo and Juliet may stand as a blueprint for how immersive theatre evolves in years to come.
Thank you very much to Fiona Curtis and the team at Wiltshire Creative for collaborating with us on this project. Check out more of Wiltshire Creative on their website and Instagram.
Photo credit: Craig Fuller and Wiltshire Creative. Craig Fuller's website and Instagram.
