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Audio description

Audio description is a spoken narration of everything that happens on stage or on screen. It describes the sets and the actors’ actions.

Solid support for an experience beyond imagination.
for an experience
beyond imagination.

Audience members in the stalls following the performance with an earpiece for audio description and smart glasses

The voice tracks are audio clips recorded in advance and played in the LYRI app. The operator in the control room starts them in real time to follow the scene. This makes the theatre experience engaging and inclusive for everyone.

You can hear audio description in the LYRI app by plugging an earpiece into your device. The room must be completely silent. That is why the audio tracks start only when the earpiece is connected. It is a discreet solution: nobody is disturbed.

The benefits of our service:

Real-time sync: the same operator who handles the subtitles starts the pre-recorded audio tracks live. This keeps the narration, the pauses and the action on stage perfectly in time.

Discreet listening: the auditorium must stay silent out of respect for the audience. So the app only plays the audio track if an earpiece is connected to the device.

Use of personal devices: People in the audience use their own smartphone or tablet and their own earpiece. The theatre does not need to hire or hand out any extra equipment.

Many languages: people in the audience can pick their preferred language for audio description from those available for the event.

Full accessibility: the LYRI system puts audio description and subtitles on the same device. It is a complete solution for a cultural experience that everyone can enjoy.

We have produced
Audio descriptions for:

TSV - Teatro Stabile del Veneto - Teatro Nazionale
Teatro Stabile del Veneto - Teatro Nazionale (Padova, Treviso, Venezia), Centro Servizi Culturali San Chiara (Trento), Teatro del Giglio (Lucca)

Il gabbiano (directed by Filippo Dini)

English surtitles. On the LYRI app, accessible Italian subtitles with sound description, and English subtitles. Italian audio introduction played in the auditorium. Italian audio description in the LYRI app. We gave the service at every date of the tour. This was in Padua, Treviso, Venice and the theatres of Trento and Lucca.
SERVICES OFFERED
Surtitles
English surtitles
Subtitles
Accessible Italian subtitles with sound description in app
Smartphone and tablet
LYRI app
Smart glasses
Subtitles on smart glasses
Earpiece
Audio introduction and audio description
Two actors kneeling on stage, with a deckchair and a small table behind them, in “Il gabbiano” directed by Filippo Dini

Teatro Stabile del Veneto “Carlo Goldoni” (TSV) is a major Italian theatre institution. It was founded in 1992. It is recognised as a National Theatre. It runs the seasons of the Teatro Goldoni in Venice and the Teatro Verdi in Padua. It promotes the making and sharing of theatre culture. It pays special attention to classical drama and to Carlo Goldoni.
TSV promotes access for all. It wants to remove physical, sensory and cognitive barriers. It offers shows with audio description and subtitles in the LYRI app, and on smart glasses too. This makes the experience open to everyone.
“Il gabbiano” (The Seagull) was directed by Filippo Dini. With this production, the accessible-for-all model also reached one performance in Trento and one in Lucca.

Portrait of a woman with round glasses and a dark bob, leaning on a desk, from “L’Analfabeta”
Romaeuropa Festival (Teatro Vascello di Roma), Piccolo Teatro di Milano (Studio Melato) and AMAT (Teatro Concordia di San Benedetto del Tronto)

L’Analfabeta (2026)

English subtitles and accessible Italian subtitles with sound description, in the LYRI app. Italian and English audio introduction played in the auditorium. Italian audio description in the LYRI app. The service was automatic, with no human operator. We gave it at every performance at Romaeuropa Festival, Piccolo Teatro di Milano and AMAT (accessible-for-all production).
SERVICES OFFERED
Subtitles
English subtitles in app
Smartphone and tablet
Accessible Italian subtitles with sound description in app
Earpiece
Audio introduction and audio description in app
Scene from Fanny & Alexander’s “L’Analfabeta”: panels with blue projections on the stage

L’Analfabeta by Fanny & Alexander and Federica Fracassi was a fully accessible production. It was also fully automated, with no human operator. It had English subtitles and accessible Italian subtitles with sound description in the app. It also had audio introduction and audio description. It is a rare and unique project. It brought together every accessibility service LYRI offers. We built them in from the production stage, not just for single performances. The show is based on heterodirection. This structure let us match the accessible content very precisely to the live action. So we could automate all the management. As a result, all ten performances at the Piccolo Teatro di Milano were accessible.
A pioneering project. It points to the future of accessibility in live performance.

FAQs on audio description

Here are the answers to the questions people ask most about our audio description service.

Do I need to install any special hardware?

No, you just need to install the app on your smartphone or tablet. To use the service, you need your own earpiece. We recommend using just one, so you can hear the live sound of the show with one ear free.

Who writes the texts and records the audio description tracks?

The texts are written by an audio description professional. Professional actors record the tracks in a neutral tone of voice. This keeps the delivery balanced. It does not change how the scene is read.

Is the audio description in sync with the subtitles?

Yes. The same operator who moves the subtitles forward in the app also handles the audio tracks. The channels are separate but work together. Audio description through the earpiece plays only during pauses or musical interludes. It never overlaps with the spoken dialogue.

Can there be more than one language for audio description?

Of course, you can choose each of the ones that have been prepared, one by one, in the app.

Is there a risk of disturbing your neighbour with audio description on?

No. The audio only starts and can only be heard when an earpiece is connected to the device. So no sound spreads into the theatre. The volume is also never loud, so the people sitting next to you are not disturbed.

Are the tracks live or pre-recorded?

The voice tracks are recorded in advance. An operator in the control room starts them in real time, in sync with the stage.

What is the audio introduction?

It is a general description of the show, to listen to before it starts. You can listen to it in the auditorium or in the app with an earpiece.