Integrating Accessibility and Aesthetics Onstage in Neworld Theatre’s King Arthur’s Night

Abstract

Co-created by Niall McNeil and Marcus Youssef of Vancouver’s Neworld Theatre, King Arthur’s Night is the inventive retelling of the tale of King Arthur. This ‘play with music’ features professional actors alongside community actors from the Down Syndrome Research Foundation in Burnaby, BC. In developing this show with an integrated cast, Neworld prioritized accessibility throughout the development, rehearsal, and production phases of the show, transforming functional practices of accessibility into artistic material for the performance. This article explores how King Arthur’s Night approaches the unification of accessibility and aesthetics and surveys a selection of moments from the production that illustrate this approach, highlighting how it serves to impact the show’s affective, theatrical, and narrative aesthetic.