BSL interview: Jenny Sealey on her one-woman show which is about to go on tour

Jenny: Yes, that’s right 26 years.

Rebecca: Wow! Last summer you went to Edinburgh (fringe festival) with your own show. Can you tell us more about that?

Jenny: So, ages ago I spent a week in Bath with a wonderful educational theatre company called The Egg which is connected to The Theatre Royal in Bath. They set up this programme for artists, directors, sound technicians, those sort of creatives which was called Incubator.

It was a week for all those involved to explore their own practice, learn from each other, wonderful! So I had one week there with a tiny company called The Little Egg, another one called The Wardrobe Ensemble and a freelance dancer called Jenny (not me, of course!)

In my mind I really wanted to adapt the book The Flour Babies by Anne Fine. It’s a beautiful book that was written in the 1980s about boys who have to look after bags of flour as if they were babies, so making sure they were dry, warm, not neglected. It’s a lovely book so that was my original aim.

All of the other artists were working on different things.  Anyhow one evening we were all chatting – with my interpreter present – and I started telling a story about something I’d just recently found out about my family. It was just a discussion but later on I was asked “is your story going to be in your show?” “Nooo!” I replied, “it’s completely different to the flour babies.” Their response was, “but you’re a flour baby.”

I was stunned. “What?!” Then the artistic director of The Egg nodded in agreement and said “Jenny, that’s your show.” I was mindblown. I began to experiment and that’s when I realised it was my show! It was the strangest feeling.

Then I asked my very good colleague – a writer called Mike Kenny – who I trust with my whole life and definitely with my “stuff” – to help me get the ball rolling with a script. So he spent a week with me just asking me questions and I would improvise and the result after a week was the show “Self Raising.”

Rebecca: How marvellous, so it was kind of an accidentally created show! That’s amazing.

Jenny: Yes, it was never my intention to create my own show. It just happened but it felt right.

Rebecca: Amazing, I love that story. So when you took the show to Edinburgh, how did you feel, how did it go?

Jenny: I was terrified. I hadn’t acted properly for 31 years! I’d done a little bit for Graeae, readings and things but not proper acting where I had to learn my lines and perform every day! Oh goodness, the responsibility! But I loved it.

I loved being directed by Lee Lyford and Darryl Jackson. I loved being given notes and being told what to do, that responsibility was theirs and I had to do what was asked of me. It was the opposite to what I am used to.

Rebecca: Very different for you then.

Jenny: Such a new experience!

Rebecca: From the show in Edinburgh, what sort of feedback did you get? What did people think?

Jenny: The feedback was positive because every family has their “stuff.” Secrets and skeletons in the closet, so I would say my play touched a nerve. My play is a reminder for people to ask their relatives questions before they pass away and it’s too late.

It’s a very simple story yet it’s a story a lot of people can relate to. Some of it is about being deaf, some is about my sisters, parents, secrets, my past as a ballerina, lots of things. It’s only one hour long with no interval!

It’s my story but it’s the family story not just mine.

Rebecca: I would imagine it would be quite therapeutic perhaps for you to tell your own story about your family every night. Did you feel that?

Jenny: It is quite tough when something is autobiographical but I felt very safe. I do have support from Graeae so I’ve been well looked after… (balloons are let off on screen) I’m so sorry about these balloons!

Rebecca: That was a nice extra!

Jenny: It’s my job to look after the audience so I imagine I’m breaking down the four walls around me and connecting with them. The audience have said how they felt held and safe within my story. That was such lovely feedback for me.

I’m not on my own on the stage, I do have a BSL interpreter because I don’t feel the standard of my BSL is enough for a show and the show is also captioned (and audio described.) So I’ve really had to learn my lines properly!

It’s nice to share the experience with my interpreter, I actually have four different ones. In Edinburgh I had one interpreter for each time slot which was nice because it shifted the dynamic a little bit. The audience will see it’s still a story of women because there are two women on stage (myself and the interpreter.)

Rebecca: So you will speak throughout the whole show?

Jenny: Yes, with some signs. I became deaf when I was 7 so speaking is a big part of my life. Because I spoke everyone forgot I was deaf, which was so frustrating. It’s a story that happens to so many deaf people. I went to hearing schools with no support at all so I had to persevere and simply use my voice.

Also, my BSL isn’t at the standard it needs to be and I don’t want to upset the deaf community. I’m not brave enough to use full BSL.

Rebecca: I understand that.

Jenny: One day maybe.

Rebecca: Are you in rehearsals now?

Jenny: Every day at the moment I’m studying and re reading the script. I’m also working on my voice with warm ups. I go to the beach and I sing, work on my breathing and tongue twisters so I’m doing all the preparation. I need to get a bit fitter, especially after the indulgences of Christmas!

Rebecca: That’s the same for everyone!

Jenny: So I am preparing and then next week rehearsals officially start.

Rebecca: Are you excited?

Jenny: Yes I am – though it’s quite a big tour!

Rebecca: Yes you have lots of dates, lots of venues going up and down the country!

Jenny: My family are coming to see it for the first time at Nottingham Playhouse so that will be really special. We open in London at Soho Theatre.

Rebecca: Oh wow, so you grew up in Nottingham and your family are still there!

Jenny: Yes, my sisters have read the script but there will still be a few surprises for them. When I go there I will be really nervous!

It’s also a big theatre at Nottingham Playhouse with just me and the interpreter on stage. So yes, I am very nervous!

Rebecca: Nottingham is a bit later on in your tour isn’t it, I’m hoping to come and see you in Derby, you’re going to several venues across England. I’m excited to see you anyway. So my last question for you is what do you have planned after the tour of Self Raising?

Jenny: I’m doing Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare Playhouse North!

Rebecca: Acting in it?

Jenny: No, directing for Graeae! I couldn’t learn a Shakespeare role, that would kill me! (Laughs)

Rebecca: You’re not starting a new Shakespearean career then?

Jenny: Oh no! Maybe later I’ll do some more acting but it will be really nice to go back to directing again too. I’m really excited about that. Shakespeare North is in the rounds so that’s always a challenge for BSL and captions and then it goes to a theatre by the lake so the show will be re-directed for the different space.

Rebecca: That sounds like a challenge!

Jenny: Yes plus a challenge for the designers, tech changes for the actors but I’m ready for that challenge!

Rebecca: First though you have your tour of Self Raising to enjoy. I wish you all the best with it. Did you want to add something?

Jenny: As the director of Graeae I feel doubly nervous because I don’t want to let the company down. I want it to be really successful for Graeae, not just for me. I don’t want our reputation to be affected if it doesn’t go down well.

Rebecca: There’s some responsibility on your shoulders then

Jenny: Yes but pressure is good. It’s positive. It’s energy!

Rebecca: That’s true! I hope your rehearsals go well and I look forwards to watching you on stage!