Paula acts to help deaf talent claim the spotlight

Founded in 2002 by Paula Garfield, Deafinitely Theatre is the UK’s first deaf-launched and deaf-led professional theatre company producing bilingual theatre in BSL and spoken English. The addition of Deafinitely Youth Theatre, a programme for people aged 14-21, in 2012, has also helped transform opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing actors.

Rose, a deaf actor and activist who is also known for her breakout role as Frankie Lewis in EastEnders, joined DYT in its first year. As well as performing on stage and screen she was part of Channel 4’s team of presenters for the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris.

Paula, 57, said other high profile DYT alumni include actor William Grint, who has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Shakespeare’s Globe. Eloise Pennycott, who joined DYT in 2019, is now an up-and-coming actor and the author of a new play commissioned by DYT called Barriers.

Funding made possible by National Lottery players has played a vital part in Paula’s mission to open doors for deaf and hard of hearing performers. Deafinitely Theatre and DYT have been supported by more than £160,000 of National Lottery funding over the past two decades.

Paula, who was awarded an MBE in 2024 for her contribution to the arts, said her experiences as a deaf actor who used British Sign Language (BSL) prompted her to set up Deafinitely Theatre. When she first told people she wanted to be an actor their response was usually discouraging. She said, “They’d laugh at me. They’d say ‘you? Being an actor? That’s not possible’.”

But Paula was determined. As a teenager she’d fallen in love with theatre watching her twin sister Fiona, who is also deaf, performing with the London Deaf Drama Group. Paula said, “I’d go and watch plays performed by deaf people in BSL and think ‘yes’ that’s what I want to do.”

Paula started acting in her late teens and soon realised the opportunities for deaf actors were extremely limited. She said, “It’s especially hard for deaf people who don’t have the privilege of having good clear speech. I remember going to lots of auditions and those [deaf actors] who did have clear speech always seemed to get the roles.”

After two years, Paula was on the verge of quitting when she landed the lead role in a production of Children of a Lesser God at Bolton’s Octagon Theatre. The play, which is set in a school for the deaf in New England, became a hit film in 1986.

Paula said, “I was shocked and flabbergasted to get the role and got more work as a result of it. But the opportunities were still very limited.”

More than 20 years since the foundation of Deafinitely Theatre, Paula estimates the number of working deaf actors in the UK has expanded from about 10 to more than 100. She credits support made possible by National Lottery players as an important factor in the success of both Deafinitely Theatre and DYT.

Paula said, “National Lottery support has been amazing. We’re so grateful for it. It allows us to run projects, fund rehearsal space and create shows.

“In terms of DYT it’s so important for parents to see a deaf young person performing on a stage. A lot of parents tell us their child struggles at school. But when they come to DYT and spend time with their peers it makes a huge impact on their confidence and self esteem.”

Paula said, “We’ve inspired a new generation of deaf BSL-using actors. There are more opportunities on stage and screen and it’s lovely to see that pool of talent growing.

“My next ambition is to encourage more deaf directors, deaf writers and deaf creatives such as make-up artists and costume designers. There are still barriers and I want to break through them.”

11th September 2024