Terry Ruane

Terry Ruane (born 21 November 1946 in Croydon, Surrey) is an English Actor and Director who became profoundly deaf as a result of meningitis at the age of 5. Although educated in an oral school, he is also a sign language user,and from 1974 he was the General Manager of the British Theatre of the Deaf under Pat Keysell which was the first-ever professional company of deaf actors to tour Great Britain presenting plays in sign language. When Keysell resigned in 1976, Ruane went on to develop and tour his own company, Interim Theatre Company, which continued for some years and he is believed to be the first deaf person in the UK to co-direct a play, "Hearing" at Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 1979. In the early 80's he had various projects occupying him in the USA and was involved in setting up the London production Children of a Lesser God (play) and later ran a Theatre in Education project using sign language for children in special schools In 1984, he wrote and acted in the first of several BBC See Hear Christmas specials during which time he also did a stint on the program as a reporter up to 1996. He has worked both as a Lecturer and Moderator on a course at Reading University which specializes in Theatre Arts using sign language. He now runs [Theatresign] , a company that supplies West End shows with Sign Language Interpreters including his ex-wife Donna Ruane with whom he has three teenage children.

References:

[http://www.theatresign.com/about.html] - biography of Terry Ruane

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