Last year, Cambridge Arts Theatre put up three relaxed performances of their Christmas pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk. Two shows were for local schools, and one (performed at 11am on a Saturday) for the general public. During the course of last year, they also performed relaxed versions of two other shows, The Gruffalo and Awful Auntie.

Relaxed performances are generally created for autistic audiences, although they are often extended to include those with Down's syndrome, Tourette’s syndrome, and other developmental disabilities. The performances alter sound and lighting levels, leave house lights on dim, and allow free movement within and outside of the auditorium during the show. They also provide additional information and well-trained staff to help disabled audience members to understand the pre-show process and enter the theatre peacefully.

At the Relaxed Theatre Company, we feel these performances should be moving more into the mainstream. Although in the last decade the movement has progressed significantly (with milestones such as the National Theatre’s 2012 performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which was one of the first relaxed performances in a high-profile theatre, or the 2014 premiere of Jess Thom’s Backstage in Biscuit Land tour, which made history by ensuring every performance was relaxed) there is still a long way to go.

With few exceptions, relaxed performances are usually targeted at primary school-aged children, and these performances are incredibly important. Young disabled people are already often left out of activities neurotypical children take for granted, and theatre is no exception. Despite being considered a safe space for the LGBT+ community and other disenfranchised minorities, it has not provided the same solace and solidarity for the disabled or neurodiverse. Complex social cues and amplified lights and sounds can make generic theatre distressing and downright frightening. For children coming to terms with their disabilities, theatre and its novel narratives can and should be a comfort in the confusing world of neurotypicality. Relaxed Theatre makes this possible, and thus allows more children to enjoy theatre.

Yet, by allowing the relaxed theatre industry to be dominated by children’s theatre, perhaps we are only revealing deeper problems with the way we view disabled adults. By refusing to create adult art in which autistic and other developmentally disabled people can participate, are we not suggesting that we believe (as much of the global population do) that they are essentially children? Infantilisation and dehumanisation are rife; we rob neurodiverse adults of autonomy, speak over them, and essentially treat them as sub-human.

It’s a difficult and fractious issue. Current efforts to make theatre more accessible are undoubtedly wonderful: I feel incredibly happy that my children will be able to enjoy West-End shows and Christmas pantomimes in a way I never could. But we, as theatre lovers, need to acknowledge that accessibility, and true disability activism, should be universal: applied to theatre-goers of all ages and shows of all types. Is it time to do away with strobe lighting? Should every show have a space outside the theatre where people can go, mid-show? Should we be insisting every disabled character be played by a disabled actor, and do away with Curious Incident-style ‘inspo porn’, where abled people walk away feeling they’ve done their bit for the disabled community simply by watching the show, without any commitment from the writers or theatres to cast or even liaise with real autistic adults?

As active participants of the theatre scene, we can all contribute more to existing efforts that are bringing relaxed theatre to the mainstream. I would urge any budding theatre-maker to seriously consider improving accessibility measures in their shows, and to think critically about the roles and implications their shows impose upon the disabled community.

The Relaxed Theatre Company perform Any Little Thing at Fitzpatrick Hall, 24-27 January