She won hearts and broke down barriers during her triumphant run on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021, so Rose Ayling-Ellis says she was shocked when an angry man protested during her current stage performance. Rose, 28, who was the first deaf contestant to take part in BBC dance competition, says a member of the audience interrupted a matinee of As You Like It in London's West End to rant that they were “discriminating against hearing people."
Rose, who won Strictly with her pro dance partner Giovanni Pernice. said the man was "screaming" and looked at the former EastEnders actress directly. The retelling of the Shakespeare comedy incorporates the use of British Sign Language (BSL) and is captioned via screens on all four sides of the theatre to make it accessible to the entire audience.
Rose, whose silent dance routine during one episode won the must-see moment award at the BAFTA TV awards, plays Celia in the show. She took to Instagram to say: "During the matinee yesterday. An angry man in the audience interrupted the show with an entitled rant screaming that we were 'discriminating against hearing people!' He looks at me directly. It was shocking."
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Rose, 28, who played Frankie Carter in the BBC One soap EastEnders until September last year, shared a video of the moment she and the cast returned to the stage to cheers and applause after he was removed. She said: "The video is the reaction when we got back on the stage after he was kicked off. We pick up from Touchstone's line, 'The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly.'"
Rose went on to say why accessible theatre is so important. "In the same audience, a little deaf girl sat in the front row with her parents signing to her," she said.
"Deaf members of the audience are able to sit wherever they want and whenever they want. Hearing people reading the captions, laughing and reacting to our signing on stage, coming into our world and understanding Shakespeare because of this. Two days ago, we had a BSL performance show, and 106 deaf people turn up. This is why we do accessible theatre."
Her Strictly co-star Dan Walker commented: "What a numptie." And TV and radio presenter Anita Rani told her: "I sometimes wonder about these men, living these bitter and angry lives and the sense of entitlement that makes them believe other people want to hear their twisted views and then I remember, I’m living a life full of joy, like you Rose! She added: "Keep going sister. More power to you The b******s will lose, we will be triumphant x"
maryhanderson474 wrote: "As a hearing person, I am ashamed and angry that you had to experience this Rose. I have seen the production; it was the most magical theatre performance I have EVER seen (and I've seen lots). Kudos to you, and the rest of the cast to this outrage. Shine on Rose You are an inspiration."
And marthamonk said: "I heard about this & heard about your response & the audience’s response; this is why deaf children need fearsome deaf role models! Well done you, in 1 minute the (mostly hearing) audience learned something profound & no doubt the deaf little girl will feel empowered & emboldened & that is EVERYTHING."
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