FESTIVAL FEATURES | People of the Eye

P H O T O S :

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D A V D M O N T E T H - H O D G E

‘To ensure this, we embedded access for both into the creative process from the start, allowing the projected captions and video to add texture and layers to the piece rather than just conveying straight meaning,’ Hutching observes. ‘Much of the piece is quite abstract to keep the audience thinking about what is going on and allowing them to tease out meaning and interpretation for themselves.

‘Once the rules of access and communication are set up, there are points where they deliberately break down. There are many reasons for this, one being to give the non-BSL (British Sign Language) users in the audience the experience of not understanding and feeling on edge. We also use a bit of audience participation, both to challenge the audience and as a tool for them to engage on an active level.’ Even the sound design by Emma Houston captures the nature of the deaf experience, using subwoofers and infrasonic tones that are felt rather than heard. Samuel Dore, a deaf i lmmaker, provided visuals, and Hutching

developed her script with deaf performers and crew, including George the hearing dog, who ‘upstages everyone!’ In common with much work that is coming from ‘disabled theatre’ an awkward term that does not do justice to the imagination and power of the performers and performances People of the Eye refuses easy categorisation and sits equally within ‘experimental’ genres. Birds of Paradise’s Wendy Hoose had a similar and intelligent approach to accessibility, creatively incorporating sign language and captioning, while Robert Softley’s direction in pieces like Purposeless Movements challenges lazy assumptions about disability in theatre with a sardonic wit and a brilliant theatricality.

‘This piece draws on a mix of theatrical traditions, from physical theatre and mime to realism,’ notes Hutching. ‘The projections are so important in the piece that you could describe it as mixed media. I enjoy moving between genres and performance styles to ensure the audience isn’t allowed to get too comfortable, and to i nd

the best way to tell the story. In this sense, the piece is very modern and experimental.’ Whether People of the Eye belongs to disabled or avant garde theatre, it has been made with an awareness of the audience and a sensitivity to deaf culture. The compassion of the process is rel ected in the story, and its combination of personal autobiography and social issues provides intimacy and relevance.

‘We want this experience of the deaf world to be portrayed in a real, meaningful way. To do this we drew upon many of our experiences growing up as deaf people, siblings of deaf people or siblings of disabled people,’ Hutching concludes. ‘Of course, we hope people engage with the material, the characters and the story. The experience of the piece will hopefully be transformative, encouraging them to approach the world with a bit more joy and empathy.’

Northern Stage at Summerhall, 560 1581, 8–27 Aug (not 10, 17, 24), 1pm, £11 (£9). Previews 6 & 7 Aug, £9.

24 THE LIST FESTIVAL 4–11 Aug 2016