In what is thought to be a world first, a new sketch show made fully in sign language is to be broadcast on TV.

Community Channel will broadcast Deaf Funny this Thursday and next Thursday. The sketches are all delivered in sign language, but with subtitles for 'the sign-impaired'.

Created and written by director Charlie Swinbourne, the show features a cast of deaf comedy characters. Sketches include a deaf man who can't stop going to Wetherspoons, a spy who listens in on conversations using special glasses, and an officious policewoman who makes sure people are signing properly, fining them for their mistakes.

Swinbourne explains: "I'm deaf myself, and it's written from a deaf perspective, with the sketches and characters linking to stuff I've seen over the years."

The cast includes profoundly deaf actors including Matt Kirby, Rebecca Withey, Jean St Clair and John Smith, plus Ben Rufus Green, who can hear but has worked on various deaf-related projects in the past.

Charlie Swinbourne tells BCG: "All the actors - apart from Ben - are profoundly deaf and use sign language. They're also very funny.

"When I first developed the project, I met The League Of Gentlemen's Jeremy Dyson, who gave me tips on making a sketch show, and I also had advice on making comedy reflecting minority communities from Sanjeev Bhaskar.

"Making this programme was a lifelong dream for me. I grew up watching sketch shows like The Fast Show and Goodness Gracious Me, and having made short 5 minute comedy films in BSL, I wanted to take the next step and make a programme featuring lots of short sketches."

The two episodes have been produced by Juggle Productions, with funding from the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust.

Swinbourne explains: "The biggest challenge of filming was that the cast communicated in sign language, while the crew communicated through speech. Over the two weeks both sets of people came together, which was lovely to see.

"I always knew deaf people from a young age and knew how funny and interesting they were. With it being such a hidden community, I'm interested in telling deaf people's stories in a way that hopefully appeals to deaf and non-deaf people alike."

Deaf Funny will be broadcast on the Community Channel on Thursday 18th May and Thursday 25th May at 7.30pm. Community Channel is available on Virgin 269, Sky 539 and Freesat 164. It can also be accessed via BT Vision, BBC iPlayer, TVGuide and TVPlayer. The episodes will also be available to watch after broadcast via bslzone.co.uk