Introduction - theatre meets learning
Theatre is one of the oldest tools for education. From Greek tragedies teaching civic values to Shakespeare shaping English itself, performances have always been more than entertainment. Today, classrooms are rediscovering the power of theatre - but with a modern twist: captions and surtitles.
Captions are often thought of as accessibility tools for the hard-of-hearing or non-native speakers. But they can also serve as powerful educational resources. When integrated into classrooms and student trips to the theatre, captions transform performances into texts that can be studied, discussed, and understood in new ways.
For teachers and theatre professionals alike, this opens a rich opportunity: making theatre a learning space where art, language, and literacy come together.
Why captions matter in education
Captions are not just subtitles - they’re learning scaffolds. They support comprehension by providing the written layer of the spoken word, bridging gaps for students who:
- Are still learning English or studying in a second language.
- Struggle with auditory processing or attention difficulties.
- Need extra support in understanding complex vocabulary or accents.
- Want to revisit key lines for analysis and discussion.
In classrooms, captions encourage students to see theatre not only as performance but also as a textual and cultural artifact.
How captions transform the classroom experience
1. Enhancing literacy and vocabulary
Students encountering Shakespeare, Molière, or Brecht can easily get lost in dense or archaic language. Captions provide a safety net: seeing the line while hearing it helps decode unfamiliar words and reinforces learning.
Example: In a high school study of Macbeth, students watched a captioned performance. Teachers reported that captions helped students identify repeated motifs (“blood,” “night,” “fate”), which became starting points for essays and classroom debate.
2. Supporting multilingual learners
For immigrant or exchange students, live theatre can be intimidating. Captions - especially if available in multiple languages - allow them to participate fully. Instead of zoning out, they engage with the story, and in the process, strengthen their English.
Example: A Paris theatre offered surtitles in French for an English-language production of Hamlet. Teachers used the captions to create side-by-side translation exercises, sharpening both language and analytical skills.
3. Building critical thinking
Captions let students slow down the theatre experience. Because they can read and re-read lines, they notice dramatic devices - irony, foreshadowing, rhetorical flourishes - more easily than if they were only listening.
4. Fostering inclusion
Captions level the playing field. Students with hearing loss, processing differences, or concentration difficulties don’t feel “left behind.” When everyone shares the same textual resource, inclusion becomes seamless.
Practical ways teachers can use captions
In the classroom
- Pre-performance preparation: Teachers can show students captioned video excerpts before attending a live show. This helps familiarize them with vocabulary and rhythm.
- Text analysis: Captions provide a transcript of the play that can be annotated, highlighted, or compared with the original script.
- Language exercises: Students can translate captioned lines into another language, rewrite them in modern English, or explore synonyms.
- Creative writing prompts: A captioned line can be the spark for a student’s own short scene or monologue.
On theatre trips
- Program guides with captions: Teachers can request a captioned script from the theatre as a study aid.
- In-the-moment comprehension: Students follow captions during the live show, ensuring they don’t lose track of the story.
- Post-performance discussion: Teachers can ask students to compare what they heard versus what they read in the captions. Did certain phrases stand out differently?
How theatres can partner with schools
Theatres can play a crucial role in bridging accessibility and education. Here are ways to collaborate:
- Educational caption nights
- Host special performances where captions are optimized for classroom audiences.
- Provide teachers with learning packs connected to the surtitles.
- Digital caption archives
- Offer caption transcripts for classroom use after performances.
- Build online repositories for teachers to access excerpts for teaching.
- Teacher training
- Run workshops for educators on how to integrate captions into theatre studies.
- Bilingual performances
- Pair with language departments to create captioned productions in multiple languages (e.g., French surtitles for English plays).
Technology and tools available
Theatre captioning has become more sophisticated and adaptable in recent years. For classrooms and schools, some useful formats include:
- Projection surtitles: Text displayed above or beside the stage. Best for large group trips.
- Mobile captions: Students follow surtitles on smartphones or tablets - ideal for school groups with diverse language needs.
- Streaming captions: Online or hybrid theatre shows with built-in captions, perfect for classrooms unable to travel.
- Printed caption scripts: A low-tech but effective solution for teachers wanting study aids alongside live performance.
Overcoming challenges
Concern: “Won’t captions distract students from watching the performance?”
- Studies show captions improve comprehension without reducing engagement. With practice, students balance watching and reading seamlessly.
Concern: “Our theatre can’t afford captioning equipment.”
- Mobile solutions or partnerships with caption providers can be more affordable than projection rigs. Plus, schools and cultural grants often subsidize educational accessibility.
Concern: “Will captions spoil the artistry of the performance?”
- When integrated thoughtfully, captions support - not overshadow - the show. Students still focus on acting, staging, and atmosphere, but with the extra tool of text.
The financial and cultural value
For theatres:
- Captioned educational performances attract bulk school bookings.
- They create opportunities for sponsorships, as companies love supporting accessibility and education.
- They build future audiences - today’s students are tomorrow’s subscribers.
For schools:
- Captions allow them to get more value out of theatre trips, linking directly to curriculum outcomes.
- They provide equitable access for students of all abilities and language backgrounds.
- They enrich the classroom with real-world, live-art experiences.
Conclusion - captions as bridges
Captions are more than accessibility tools. They are bridges between art and education. They help students understand, connect, and participate in theatre at deeper levels. They give teachers new resources for literacy, language, and critical thinking. And they allow theatres to expand their role as not just entertainers, but educators and community leaders.
By bringing captions into classrooms, we don’t just make theatre more accessible - we make it more meaningful.
