Meet the members

Birds of Paradise Theatre Company

Based in City of Glasgow

Theatre

Birds of Paradise Theatre Company (BOP), founded in 1993 in Glasgow, is a disability-led professional theatre company promoting disabled artists and accessibility. As one of Scotland's leading touring companies, BOP has significantly influenced UK disability arts by challenging underrepresentation and fostering opportunities for disabled performers.

Initially focused on training, BOP now centres disabled narratives across diverse genres with predominantly disabled casts and creative teams. The company innovatively integrates accessibility features like BSL, audio description, and captioning as intrinsic artistic elements rather than supplements.

Under Artistic Director Robert Softley Gale (appointed 2012), BOP has produced critically acclaimed works including Wendy Hoose (2014), exploring disability and relationships with humour; My Left / Right Foot - The Musical (2018), winning Fringe First and Herald Angel Awards for its satirical critique of "cripping up"; and Don't. Make. Tea. (2024), a satirical thriller critiquing the UK's disability benefits system.

Beyond productions, BOP runs BOP Young Artists for nurturing young talent and Cue Backstage providing technical theatre placements. The international UNWRAP project (2024) supported early-career disabled artists from Scotland and Nepal.

BOP's commitment to accessibility, representation, and innovation has established it as a transformative force in theatre, advocating inclusivity whilst showcasing disabled artists' creative potential nationally and internationally.

Contact details

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