Most theatre and new writing is inaccessible to deaf and hard of hearing people. Existing captioning technology is old fashioned and doesn't take advantage of creative software programming advances. Tin Bath wanted to experiment with ways to subtitle theatre more creatively and responsively. The project was commissioned by Theatre Sandbox in 2010 and resulted in You’re So Happy I Want To Die, a two-woman comedy show which incorporated the captioning system into the performance.

The system comprised of text-based captions and moving images which designed to enhance the theatre experience for deaf and hearing audiences alike. Triggered by changes in volume, pitch and tone, the captions were designed to highlight and enhance key dialogue and comic moments, intensify drama, and provide audiences with a visual representation of emotion. Pervasive media was used to develop the captions, which responded to the live nature of theatre in a dynamic and visually stimulating way.

View the Project Film on DShed.