THE lives of famous deaf people through history were brought to life in a performance at York Theatre Royal.

Horrible Histories Dreadful Deaf showcased the dangerous and deluded stories of deaf people from the Greeks to the Georgians and the Romans to the Victorians.

The production, which was performed in spoken English and British Sign Language, was brought to York by theatre companies Deafinitely Theatre and the Birmingham Stage Company.

It was directed by Paula Garfield and starred Fifi Garfield, Naomi Gray and Nadeem Islam.

Deafinitely Theatre is the UK’s first professional theatre company led by deaf people and creates productions for both deaf and hearing audiences.

The organisation was established in 2002 and its vision is to create “a world where deaf people are a valued part of the national theatre landscape, recognised for the excellence of their work”.

Productions include plays for both young people and adults, ranging from classics including Shakespeare to more contemporary shows.