Actor Ciaran O’Breen talks about his upcoming role “Captain Chatter” in Wonder Boy and his connection to the Bristol Old Vic (BSL)

As I prepare to tour with the revival of “Wonder Boy,” I am very excited to bring the play alive on the stage again after its last show in 2022. It is a beautifully written tale by Ross Willis.

The story is about a 12 year old boy, Sonny, who lives with a stammer. I am playing Captain Chatter who is Sonny’s imaginary friend, a comic hero created from his own drawing. Sonny sees Captain Chatter as a tactic to escape into a visual fantasy from the real world which relies on spoken English.

The five weeks of rehearsals at Bristol Old Vic have been fun! The director Sally Cookson really values visual language on the stage, which gives me many great opportunities to delve into physical theatre, visual vernacular and BSL for my character, Captain Chatter.

Sally Cookson and her associate director; Mary Sutherland, are committed to inclusivity. On the first rehearsal day, they invited the deaf consultant, David Ellington, to teach basic BSL phrases (e.g. “good morning”) to the cast and creative team. This warm, welcoming environment makes the team bond more strongly and have better deaf awareness.

Also, every performance features creative captioning, using graphic texts and animation. This allows deaf audience members more freedom in choosing when to see the show.

The Wonder Boy tour offers a great opportunity to connect with the deaf community in various locations, including people who have known me since I was really young. We hope our work can inspire others to expand deaf representation and creativity in access/inclusivity in the theatre.

In 2022, the original cast member Ramesh Meyyappan played Captain Chatter. As I was on an emerging creative artist placement, I remember watching him in the rehearsal room. His captivating performance inspired me deeply.

In May 2024, we collaborated and shared our creativity with each other. I look forward to showcasing new work in ‘Wonder Boy,’ sharing my performance style with the audience.

We open at Bristol Old Vic (BOV) this September, and I am thrilled. BOV has been my theatre home since I was 11. My passion for theatre started with captioned and interpreted shows at BOV, including occasionally seeing deaf cast members, like Nadia Nadarajah and Stephen Collins in “Christmas Carol”.

They inspired me and helped me realise that deaf performers can successfully work in a mainstream show. My bedroom shelf is filled with about 50 theatre programmes, each a cherished memory.

Before and after shows, my hearing mum interpreted for me with the BOV staff, making connections, which enabled me join courses and workshops like the Made in Bristol programme and BOV’s Young Company, where I met incredible people like director Sally Cookson. It inspired and shaped my journey in the arts after a lot of negative attitudes toward deafness from GCSE Drama lessons which took place in the mainstream school onsite of my deaf school.

My mum, who’s always believed in me, will be in the audience to see Wonder Boy at BOV, which will be one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences. Keeping my emotions in check on stage while knowing she’s watching will be tough!

Looking back, I remember being 13 and telling my mum after watching Sally Cookson’s “Jane Eyre” at Bristol Old Vic that if I could ever choose a role, I’d play Pilot, the dog. She encouraged me, saying, “You absolutely can be an actor and perform at Bristol Old Vic.”

Now, here I am, playing Captain Chatter in “Wonder Boy.”  It’s a dream come true, and I couldn’t have asked for a better next step in my theatre career.

For more information about Wonder Boy see: https://wonderboyplay.com/