Representation matters: Platforming disability in The Acts
A review and reflection on a showcase of disabled-led pieces
When approaching disability representation in theatre and the arts, there is a wide variety of formats that may come to mind; but for theatre company CRIPtic Arts, their work involves more than starring disabled performers - but placing disability front and centre in their shows, which has informed the process of creating The Acts, a four-act piece staged at Barbican Centre's experimental space The Pit, known for its forward-thinking programme which platforms a variety of up-and-coming talent across the arts.
A show title as this is initially ambiguous, yet accurately describes the nature of this showcase - instead of a conventional two-act play, the show brings together four independent pieces made by different artists surrounding with their own individual connection to disability. The format is introduced in British Sign Language by Sahera Khan, who also directs the documentary footage shown on a screen at the back of the stage, offering direct insights from creatives and performers themselves before each presentation.
The performance offers major accessible provisions for the audience across all four pieces (something rarely seen together in mainstream performances), including an integrated BSL - directly interacting with performers - interpreted live by Anna Kitson, creative captioning and open audio description (with puns too) to cater for various access needs.
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Act 1: Autistic As F**k
*Title redacted for display purposes*
The first piece from theatre company ASYLUM Arts, part theatre and part spoken word, focuses on neurodiversity as a disability - as the title suggests, Stephen Bailey's writing is no less self-aware in a way that mirrors the relatable experiences, conflicts and struggles shared by many autistic people, including being misunderstood in daily conversations, misconceptions about the condition and dilemmas frequently arising on what being autistic means.
Debating the autism experience is three performers Kat Dulfer, Evlyne Oyedokun and Theo Angel, the former appearing virtually via video projected on a hung scrim. The group discusses each dilemma with monologues that are at times serious and at times funny - whether deliberately or not (including a notoriously ableist commercial from a certain autism charity), many nevertheless resonant with the audience for their honesty.
Bailey's take on the way neurodiversity is talked about in theatre is uniquely original, addressing issues that impacts those working in the arts and living their everyday lives as people with the condition and in fact, not to be branded as having the condition.
Act 2: Over The Moon
Making the switch to a control room-like set with desks and a miniature rocket hung onto the rig, Peyvand Sadeghian and Matthew Robinson's piece looks at the space experience using imagery and auditory immersion from the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.
Presenting ambiguity at first, the piece albeit does not seem to have an immediately obvious message unlike its predecessor, offers audiences the opportunity to interpret the piece's connection with disability; reviewing the programme notes, the writers intended to explore wellness and isolation specifically through the lens of a space mission, and such themes are present though expressed through the combined use of video cameras and voiceover footage, which required deeper thought to connect between the themes and the message - a contrast to the comedy in Act 1.
Act 3: To Rose on Her 18th Birthday
Another spoken word piece fom AC Smith, the show now takes a poetic shift in the form of a love letter written from the writer to her young daughter. This is contextualised following the mother's cancer diagnosis, only to be made worse by the recent global pandemic.
Slowing the pace down allows for a direct conversation as if she is writing to the audience, with her lived experience forming the basis for an authentic piece that communicates each end of the emotional spectrum - the frustration and despair that comes with a life-changing disease coinciding with childbirth, and the newfound gratitude and beauty extracted from living through such a life. Smith's words are impactful on their own, accompanied by onscreen photography and audio - snippets from an extraordinary life with an unwavering maternal care and dedication displayed through a courageous story.
Act 4: PostHuman
The final part of the two-hour showcase perhaps utilises the most visual aids, as Rachel Gadsden takes to the stage in a highly visual piece based on three art canvas. Using mixed media including paint, chalk and other varieties of visual art materials, Gadsden follows a set of occasionally overlapping voiceover instructions which seems to dictate the journey the audience is taken on, revolving around a central theme of resuscitation.
Dressed in a corset fitted with syringes, the performer creates pieces of art live which calls for a question on what being human means, and in times of vulnerability, how art could play its part to demand change; powerful without live dialogue, the soundscape is accompanied by Freddie Meyers on the trumpet, creating moods that bounces off the brush strokes Gadsden makes, the layers tore off of rage and the paint splattered all over, closing with an equally determined statement for change.
A diverse evening across the extended scope of cross-arts, from experimental work to immersive performance, the event calls not for a typical review, but an open invitation to engage with work created by the wider disabled community, welcoming a spectrum of responses that form the unique takeaways audiences leave the space with - a new thing learnt or a new thought sparked.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
The Acts played at The Pit, Barbican Centre from 8-9 November. Use the links to find out more about the Theatre and Dance programme at the Barbican and future work from CRIPtic Arts.
Author’s Note: Register and word choice has been taken into consideration in this article to increase the accessibility to a wider audience.
Tickets and Accessibility
🎟️ Tickets were kindly gifted by the venue. All views are my own, without any input or opinion from the venue or producers. Standard tickets were priced at £16, with £5 tickets available for all Young Barbican members across most events at The Pit.
♾️ All performances were Relaxed and feature creative captioning, integrated BSL interpretation and open audio description. Haze is used throughout the performance with an instance of smoke from upstage left, which spreads into the seating banks.
Content notes were broadcast before each piece and available online. A visual story was also available online before the performance, with fidget toys available at the venue.