The play's the thing. Audio description in the theatre: Margaret and Cody Pfanstiehl

When visually impaired people visit the theatre they usually rely on whispered comments from their sighted friends for information about the visual aspects o f the play they are seeing. This can be an enjoyable form of sharing but it can also be something of a strain for both parties: the commentator is not quite free to concentrate completely on the performance, while not quite managing to give a full picture of what is happening on stage. These problems are now being overcome at several theatres in Washington DC, USA, thanks to the Audio Description Service launched there in 1981. Its co-founders, Margaret Rockwell and Cody Pfanstiehl, were interviewed by the BJVI when visiting Britain last July. The Audio Description Service has received wide acclaim in America and is, as far as is known, the only service of its kind in the world. Margaret and Cody spoke of its beginnings and of how it works at present, and touched on possible future developments.