Teresa Garratt: Check out the deaf Talent at Edinburgh Fringe!

If you’re a deafie who’s involved in the arts world, you may have noticed that a few people aren’t around this month.

That’s because a lot of them have headed up to bonnie Scotland (and not just for the fine whiskey!), they’re either attending or a part of performances showing at Edinburgh Fringe!

I’m sure you’ve all heard of this massive Theatre festival before, which is why it’s a huge deal that some deaf talent will be performing there.

There are also tons of shows that are “deaf friendly” and you can find them on the Fringe website by using the handy “hearing not needed” filter.

Unfortunately I can’t go along as I have to much work and adulting to do.

Fortunately, I have been lucky enough to work with two of the deaf/BSL inclusive companies featuring at Fringe this year. So I definitely advise checking them out if you’re lucky enough to attend this year.

 

I’ve worked with a company called Hot Coals many times and I’m always mesmerised by their quirky characters and other worldly set design.

The company is made up of just two people, Jo Sargent and Clare Louise English, who is deaf herself.

They both devise and perform in all of their pieces, which goes to show just how much a deaf person CAN DO!

Hot Coals have taken their bittersweet fantasy tale “Knock Knock” along to perform at the Assembly Roxy venue. It’s a family friendly show that mixes both comedy and heartache via physical Theatre, clowning and caricature mask work. It’s inclusive for both deaf and hearing audiences, and you can find out lots more here.

Next up is the wonderful company, Handprint Theatre with their latest show, “Moonbird”. Handprint specialise in creating children’s Theatre and have a great track record of working with fantastically talented deaf actors.

I was privileged enough to help film a trailer for the development of Moonbird and was so pleased to see such an important message being passed on to deaf children.

The show has been devised by both deaf and hearing creatives and will appeal to both deaf and hearing audiences.

It also includes two hugely talented deaf actors, Nadeem Islam and William Grint, who are perfect examples of successful deaf role models that children need to look up to. They’ll be performing at the Pleasance Courtyard and you can find more details here.

So, if you’re heading up to Edinburgh for Fringe this year, don’t forget to show your support for the #deaftalent taking part by popping along to these shows and any other you might find.

Hopefully, there will be even more deaf/BSL inclusive shows for us all to see in the future and I might actually have finished doing this boring adult stuff and be able to go along too!

Read more of Teresa’s posts (with cartoons!) by clicking here.

Teresa is a freelance film maker, photographer and full time cynic. At school, she was voted “Most likely to end up in a lunatic asylum”, a fate which has thus far been avoided. Her pet hates are telephones, intercoms and all living things. Follow her on Twitter as @TGarratty