‘Interplay Community Theatre of Leeds was recommended to me. A one-off performance visit by the Company was to signal a whole change in the drama and theatre input throughout the county’s special schools. It was clear to me that here was a company who were committed to work in special schools: here was no compromise. I saw an imaginative and challenging programme designed to excite the children, engaging their emotions, their imaginations and their skills, and devised in recognition of the particular learning needs and difficulties of these young people.’ Geoffrey Malbon, Schools Drama Adviser, Derbyshire County Council

The Gulbenkian Foundation was surprised to find that there was very little literature about the use of theatre and drama in the education of children with severe learning difficulties. The potential of this work, so clearly demonstrated by Interplay, has remained largely unfulfilled due perhaps to lack of finance, but also most certainly to lack of understanding of its value.

Through the publication of this book both the Foundation and Interplay hope to encourage teachers, those involved in teacher training, drama and theatre practitioners, those responsible for funding and administrating the arts and education, and parents to look closely at the work of companies such as Interplay so that more ‘Special Theatre’ can be made available for these young people.