LiveText for theatre and production companies
The LiveText glasses is a new way to offer more accessibility to hard of hearing and non-native speakers in our theatre. It is an ongoing project in collaboration with XRAI and other partners. Since its launch in 2025, we have gone back to the drawing board and improved the user experience for the visitors and ourselves. We are closing in on a new official launch date when other theatres will also be able to buy the equipment.
The LiveText glasses provide real-time subtitles and translation during one of our performances. Inside the AR glasses appear real-time subtitles with your chosen language, there are over 223 to choose from.
With the LiveText glasses we hope to make our performances accessible to a wider audience inside the Hague. With real-time subtitles of everything that’s said on stage, any performance becomes accessible for everyone that’s deaf, hard of hearing or unfamiliar with the spoken language. The words of the actors become text through AI-driven speech recognition software, making it possible to read along live.
Transcription & Language
During the performance, live transcription of Dutch language to Dutch text is almost instantaneous. We’re able to offer this through XRAI, our IT partner.
We also have performances with surtitles, but this can be more expensive, and we see the LiveText glasses as an alternative which can be implemented for every performance.
For translation we currently use the Gemini translation model which, right now, averages about 500ms of latency. This means that there is a noticeable difference in speed when translation is added into the process.
The translation models are limited by the language that they’re translating. I.e. languages where the subject is at the end of the sentence are inherently slower since the model needs to wait for the end of the sentence.
Some languages, such as Indonesian which has a formal and colloquial form. From user feedback we’ve found that the current models tend to use both intermittently, thus making for a confusing reading experience.
Lastly, XRAI also has a consumer application available on the App and Play Store if you want to try out the transcription on your own phone.
Which languages work best?
The quality of the translations depends on the language, with some languages performing better than others.
Below, you can see how we and our users rate the translation quality for specific languages. A rating of 5 ★ is the highest.
| From | To | Rating |
| Dutch | - | ★★★★★ |
| English | ★★★★★ | |
| German | ★★★★ | |
| French | ★★★ | |
| Polish | ★★★ | |
| Italian | ★★★ | |
| Spain | ★★★ | |
| Turkish | ★★★ | |
| Arabic* | ★★ | |
| Portuguese* | ★★ | |
| Indonesian * | ★★ |
*A common feedback is that the translation model is confusing. It tends to scramble together different dialects or mixes formal and informal forms in one sentence.
Op zoek naar ondersteuning?
We krijgen regelmatig vragen en verzoeken van theaters of wij informatie kunnen geven hoe wij alles opgezet hebben. Wij hebben vaak geen tijd om hier goed antwoord op te geven, dus vandaar dat we met deze pagina meer info willen geven.
Onderdeel daarvan is financiering van het project. Het Nationale Theater heeft door middel van donateurs, fondsen en subsidies de LiveText bril kunnen financieren. Een belangrijk onderdeel daarbij was Cultuurloket DigitALL, Fonds 1818, de gemeente Den Haag en de Rabobank.
Bij Cultuurloket DigitALL hebben culturere instellingen tot 1 november 2026 de mogelijkheid om tot €30.000 aan te vragen en mee te doen met de LiveText bril. Klik dus snel op de link en kijk wat er bij jullie mogelijk is.
The first in the world!
In the Youtube video below Ivo & Monique talk about the concept, motivation and the eventual goal behind this innovation.
Frequently asked questions
Can we offer LiveText in our own theatre?
At present, LiveText is only available when one of our own productions is touring to another venue. WG Theatertechniek in Rotterdam is currently developing a standard national deployment package. If you would like to stay informed about its availability, please email livetext@hnt.nl.
How do you handle user data?
Our system can operate entirely locally on a Mac Studio or via European servers. At present, we use both configurations to evaluate performance, speed and reliability.
All data is processed exclusively through European servers. We do not store audio recordings or any other data for machine learning purposes. While we are exploring the possibility of enabling this in the future—as it could significantly improve the quality of transcription and translation, our current system performs live transcription only. Once the transcription has been delivered, no audio or transcript data is retained.
What exactly does the AI do?
Audio from the mixing desk is sent to our transcription system, where artificial intelligence converts the spoken dialogue into text. We use Soniox, whose highly accurate and low-latency speech recognition model enables us to generate live captions and real-time translations during the performance without storing any data.
I keep seeing the name XRAI. What is it?
We work closely with XRAI to optimise the experience for audiences, theatre makers, venues and technical teams. The application used during the performance is based on the XRAI platform. XRAI also develops its own augmented reality headset, we are currently testing the AR2 internally without visitors.
How do visitors reserve a LiveText headset?
For performances at our own venues, a dedicated seating block is available with a separate Ticketmatic booking link. At partner theatres, the reservation process depends on the venue's own booking procedures.
Do you require any additional facilities in the briefing room?
Before and after each performance, we meet with LiveText users. As many of our visitors are hard of hearing, we prefer to use a quiet space with minimal background noise.
We also request that water is available for LiveText users.
Do you need an Ethernet connection in the briefing room?
No, an Ethernet connection is not essential. We can deliver the briefing without one. When available, we use the connection to display a specific piece of text in the headset during the introduction. If no Ethernet connection is available, we use a microphone-based alternative.
Do LiveText users have to sit in the designated seating block?
No. Visitors are free to choose any available seat. However, we recommend that LiveText users sit together in the designated seating block. This provides a more consistent experience for us and allows us to offer immediate assistance if any technical issues arise.
About HNTUnlimited
A visible or invisible disability should not be a barrier to enjoying a visit to the theatre. Sometimes, the right support or adjustments are all that's needed to make a performance accessible.
This season, we offer a range of accessibility services and adaptations for selected performances, helping more people experience theatre in a way that works for them. We work closely with several specialist organisations to make this possible.