ANTHONY Snowden has wanted to be a performer for as long as he can remember.

He's currently in a spectacular new production of rock opera Tommy, endorsed by The Who's Pete Townshend, which has been touring the UK and is at West Yorkshire Playhouse this week.

It's the latest triumph for Anthony, from Thackley, a professional dancer who has worked on cruise ships and with his own acclaimed dance troupe which performs 'sign dancing'. What makes his achievements particularly impressive is that Anthony was born deaf and couldn't speak at all in his early life.

"I had speech therapy classes, and later acting training helped with my diction," he says. "This is a tough industry and auditions can be hard for me as I can't hear everything. Performing has built my confidence.

"I've never done anything like Tommy before. It's a big professional tour, I'm loving it. I've always been a pure dancer, but in this show I'm playing the Rev Simpson. It's a whole new way of performing, it's a challenge and nerve-wracking, but an amazing opportunity."

This bold reinterpretation of the rock opera, about a traumatised young man who ceases to communicate with the outside world then finds salvation through pinball, features a cast of deaf and disabled actors. It includes two new songs written by Pete Townshend, who composed The Who’s original 1969 concept album of Tommy.

The legendary guitarist and songwriter welcomed the inclusive cast, saying: “This is a totally new adventure and really does refer back to my original story in which a young man, disabled by extreme trauma, finds his way to some kind of spiritual place because he can feel music.”

The production, supported by the Arts Council, is by Ramps on the Moon, a consortium of seven major theatre companies committed to putting deaf and disabled artists and audiences at the centre of their work. The aim is to accelerate positive change, explore opportunities and stimulate awareness of disability issues within arts and culture.

"The director, Kerry Michael, had this great vision for a whole new spin on Tommy," says Anthony. "It's a story that means a lot to actors with disabilities. There are two cast members in wheelchairs and there's BSL (British Sign Language) in the show. I haven't seen anything like this before, it gives you goosebumps. It's a special, uplifting show, one of the most rewarding things I've done."

Anthony, 29, believes theatre is becoming more accessible for people with disabilities. "There are signed and audio-assisted performances now, and relaxed shows for people with autism and other conditions," he says. "We're doing some relaxed performances; we explain the show before it starts and leave the lights on."

Anthony started out in amateur dramatics, appearing in Idle and Thackley Society productions with his parents. He got into dancing at Haycliffe Special School in Bradford, and took part in Rock Challenge, a performing arts showcase for local schools. Picked to compete on BBC1 show DanceX, he was offered a scholarship for a musical theatre degree at SLP College, Leeds. Since graduating in 2010, he has been a backing dancer for boy band The Wanted, and has worked on stage and TV, appearing in TV comedy Episodes with Matt le Blanc, and a film about Winnie the Pooh author AA Milne. He has worked as a pantomime dance captain and spent two seasons with a theatre company aboard P&O ships.

Anthony is particularly proud of Deaf Men Dancing, which he co-founded. Comprised of deaf dancers, the troupe integrates sign language into movement, keeping time with each other using eye contact, lighting and music vibrations. They have performed at festivals and venues around the UK including the National Theatre and Sadler’s Wells, and a dance event in Zagreb, Croatia.

"We blend different dance styles, embedded with sign language," says Anthony. "It's inspiring for deaf audiences, particularly children. We're getting out the message that being deaf isn't a barrier.

"Hopefully I'm showing that you can still get out there and audition, and work professionally in this industry."

* Tommy runs at the Quarry Theatre until Saturday. Call (0113) 213 7700.