Interview with artistic director Paula Garfield on Deafinitely Theatre’s latest show: Dreadful Deaf!

Hi Paula! So, how did the idea for Dreadful Deaf come about?

So, the idea for our brand new production of Horrible Histories – Dreadful Deaf came from my two deaf daughters. I remember watching them reading the “Horrible Histories” series of books and they were telling me about famous historical figures they had learnt about.

I thought to myself, where is the fun history book full of deaf historical figures? And so I decided that I wanted to create a play which showcased deaf people throughout time, both good and bad, to put this history on stage for families with deaf and hearing members to come along and watch together.

As many Limping Chicken readers will know, 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents (that’s the group I’m in – my daughters are in the 10% of deaf people born to deaf parents). We know that many deaf children now are in mainstream education, perhaps with very few deaf peers and even fewer deaf adult role models. My own mum, who is hearing, met a deaf family for the first time when I was 6 years old and it opened her eyes to the possibilities of what I could achieve as a deaf adult.

So with Horrible Histories – Dreadful Deaf, I want to put a production on stage for families with hearing grandparents and deaf grandchildren or vice versa to come along and all watch together.

That’s one of the reasons I co-founded Deafinitely Theatre 17 years ago, to put on plays in British Sign Language and English that showcase the deaf perspective. And we’re certainly doing that with Horrible Histories – Dreadful Deaf, you will learn so much about the experiences of deaf people throughout history – some good, some bad, some shocking, some sad, some happy but always Dreadful!

Is the format similar to the original Horrible Histories books and tv programmes – with humour and gore amongst the facts?!

We’ve tried to remain faithful to the Horrible Histories style of work when creating this play. We’ve been very lucky to work with the Birmingham Stage Company who create all the mainstream Horrible Histories plays that tour the UK, including Groovy Greeks, Barmy Britain and others.

With their support, we’ve remained true to the style of presenting some quite obscure, rude and funny moments throughout history but with fun and humour at its core. Imagine if we put on a play that showed all the ways that the Ancient Egyptians believed could cure deafness in 1550BC in a serious way, our audiences would leave the theatre traumatised.

But in Horrible Histories – Dreadful Deaf, we’re able to show the dreadful experiences that deaf people were subjected to, but in a funny and lighthearted way. You’ll have to come along and see these astonishing facts for yourself!

I can’t wait! So, how did you research Deaf history and prepare for the production – what challenges were there?

Researching and creating this production has been a long journey that first started five years ago. We’ve had various research processes and had a weeklong research and development project with actors to develop the style and how we could tell all these amazing stories.

We got feedback from a school group of deaf children and worked their comments in as well. In the end, I ended up writing the script with Neal Foster from the Birmingham Stage Company and I can’t wait for audiences to see it.

How did you cast for the show, what were you looking for?

Casting for any show is always a challenge as we’ll all be working together intensively for a rehearsal process and then a tour and so it’s vital to bring together the right people in the room. I’ve been very fortunate on this production to have three very talented actors, two deaf and one hearing, but all fluent BSL users. They’ve been so supportive of each other and they’ve made a great team. They’re all naturally very funny people and it’s created a great atmosphere in the rehearsal room. Check out the Horrible Histories – Dreadful Deaf – Meet the Cast video on our website to see what I mean!

Is the BSL used in the show historically correct, if that’s even possible?!

Every Deafinitely Theatre production has BSL and English at its core and we always put BSL centre-stage. In this production, our actors are portraying SO many characters throughout history and throughout the world that it would be impossible to represent the sign language used in those times and countries, make it understandable and make it enjoyable by an audience of deaf and hearing people in 2019. What you will see when you come to watch this production is a mixture of BSL, Sign Supported English (SSE), Visual Vernacular, Spoken English, Movement, Physical depictions of things and so much more.

 

Brilliant. So if I come along, what can I and other audience members expect to find in the show- any snippets you can share with us? Any surprises?!

Audiences members can expect a whistle-stop tour of notable deaf people throughout history, the good, the bad and the dreadful! You’ll find out about a deaf boxer, deaf Queen, deaf suffragette as well as the weird and crazy ways the Ancient Egyptians tried to “cure” deafness in 1550BC. You’ll laugh and boo at our baddie and then cheer and sign-along with our heroes in this fun and informative production. And yes, absolutely, there will be lots of surprises, but I can’t tell you about them now or else they won’t be a surprise. You’ll have to come along and watch.

Ooh! I loved the Horrible Histories books, will there be a published Dreadful Deaf Book?

There are no plans for a Horrible Histories – Dreadful Deaf book at the moment but watch this space. If there’s a demand from people then perhaps this is something that could be considered in the future. Never say never! We’ve got all this wonderful rich material now and so I hope that there is a life for it after this production is finished.

And just in case anyone hasn’t been persuaded to get a ticket yet, why should we go and see the show?

You should come and support this show because it’s been made by deaf BSL users for deaf BSL users of any age to see themselves and their history represented on stage. Deaf parents – bring your hearing children, brothers, sisters and friends to find out the experiences of deaf people through history.

Hearing parents, bring your children – deaf and hearing – together and your wider families to watch this important historical and very funny play. And you’ll find out why I have a sudden dislike of 20 tomatoes eaten every day!

Paula Garfield is the Artistic Director of Deafinitely Theatre. You can find details of their productions at www.deafinitelytheatre.co.uk

Photography by Becky Bailey