We perform with the most locked away autistic people, the people most of the world never see. Autism is a very small word that currently encompasses a vast number of people – those who we work with need, and will always need, 24/7 care. They are usually too anxious to enter the theatre at first visit, but after some time; days, weeks, months, years, through forming the habit of playing with myself and the actors, fear and anxiety appear to be alleviated and a genuine sharing of thought, feeling, emotion and truth can be experienced together. Kelly Hunter BME Artistic Director.

Here is our story.

In 2014, we created The Tempest For Autistic Individuals as a co-production with the RSC. This production performed at the South Bank Centre in 2015 and at the Orange Tree Theatre  2016. In 2017, Kelly Hunter directed it on Catalan at Teatre Lliure in Barcelona. Flute have continued to tour this production, performing with autistic individuals in the UK and internationally. In September 2023, Kelly Hunter travelled to Lima Peru to create a Peruvian version of the production in Spanish at Teatro La Plaza for the Peruvian autistic community.

In 2017, Flute Theatre and Orange Tree Theatre created A Midsummer Night’s Dream For Autistic Individuals. This production returned to Orange Tree Theatre in 2018. In the UK Flute also delivered two runs of A Midsummer Night’s Dream For Autistic Individuals at the Bridge Theatre London in 2018 and 2019 and Chichester Festival Theatre in 2018. Flute have toured this production in translation to Romania, Spain and Catalunya.

In 2019 Flute Theatre created Pericles For Autistic Individuals in co-production with Riksteatern, Sweden, performing on tour in translation to Sweden, Poland and Romania before the pandemic. During the pandemic we adapted our productions to be accessible online for the autistic community, delivering over 950 online live adapted performances for one autistic individual at a time across four continents.

Since 2021 Flute has performed and toured Pericles For Autistic Individuals partnered by our mainstage production of Pericles in a unique theatrical double wherein we offer two productions of this same play including our version for autistic individuals. Using this Double Pericles model we have performed extensively across the UK, in London, Brighton, Colchester, Devon, Sheffield, Stratford upon Avon and Oxford as well as performing internationally in translation in Russian, Romanian, Ukrainian and Serbian. The production has also become the basis for Flute’s project with Ukrainian refugees in collaboration with The Situational Centre in Sofia Bulgaria.

In early 2024, we created Twelfth Night For Autistic people, returning to the Orange Tree Theatre for a successful three-week run, as well as giving a week of performances at Riverside Studios. Our productions for autistic people continue to be at the heart of the company’s identity, fulfilling our purpose – to transform autistic people’s lives through the power and poetry of Shakespeare.

In 2025 we created an award winning Pericles for autistic people at Phamaly Theatre in Denver Colorado. working with disabled actors who used their love, talent and skills with autistic people. In December, we began our long awaited project with the Urban Theatre Project Kolkata.

Despite crushing funding challenges, we continue to perform with our hidden community of autistic people around the world.

Since 2014, we have created main stage adaptations of Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Pericles, The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. These shows have toured extensively across Europe.