On International Sign Language Day, we shine the spotlight on Lesley Crerar, who puts British Sign Language centre stage at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen.
As the interpreter for HMT, Lesley has signed for more than 200 shows and shared the stage with some very famous faces, from Brian Conley to Jimmy Osmond.
In our exclusive video interview, Lesley uses BSL to tell us about her work, the importance of what she does and some of the challenges of making shows such as Cabaret and Sister Act accessible for everyone.
- You can access subtitles for our interview with Lesley via the button marked CC on the video player
Fascinating glimpse into the world of BSL interpreter Lesley Crerar
She also shares some anecdotes – from getting an on-stage hug from Jimmy Osmond to the time audience members were signing back to have her shift out the way because she was blocking Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar.
And Lesley, who has worked as an interpreter at His Majesty’s for some 20 years, tells us how and why she first learned sign language and what an impact it made on her and others.
It’s a fascinating glimpse into the work of someone who has been on stage at His Majesty’s for virtually every show to play the theatre over the past two decades.
And it also underlines Lesley’s deepest wish that as many people as possible learn how to sign to make communication easy and smooth for everyone.
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