Theatre Review: Follow The Signs, Tobacco Factory Theatres
Summary:
Rating: ★★★
Running Dates: Wednesday 4th September - Saturday 7th September 2024
Where to see it: Tobacco Factory Theatres
Duration: 60 minutes (no interval)
Keywords: Hip-Hop, BSL, Gig Theatre
Photo Credit: Charlie Swinbourne
Review
Follow the Signs manages to remind you that what a person is facing is never as simple as it seems from the outside.
The theatre world has seen creations of all genres and varieties but how often does one get to experience a fully BSL led hip-hop theatre show?
Follow the Signs is an original piece, written and performed by Chris Fonseca. Contracting meningitis at the age of 2 that resulted in the loss of his hearing, we are brought into Fonseca’s world and along on the journey of discovering his identity.
From the start it’s clear to see that ample thought has been put into making the experience as accessible as possible for all audiences. With Chris delivering his story through BSL, a projection of captioning shown in the background throughout the show and his voice provided by co-director and writer Harry Jardine – there are few shows that can claim to be as accessible as this is.
We are quickly taken along on the journey of the loss of Chris’ hearing, the attempts from professionals to ‘solve’ this with a cochlear implant, bullying, and the struggle of him finding his place in this world along with his love for hip-hop and dancing. However, the show isn’t just focused on the story of Chris but also on Raffie (Raphaella Julien) a ‘half black half white, deaf but oral woman’ and how their friendship started. From an external perspective their stories and struggles might seem so different but are they really? Showing audiences a glimpse into both sides and challenging perspectives is just one of the many ways Follow the Signs manages to remind you that what a person is facing is never as simple as it seems from the outside.
Photo Credit: Charlie Swinbourne
Throughout the show Raffie and Chris share their struggles giving the hearing audience an insight into what life is like and the struggles that exists for them in this present day, such as being unable to find voice actors to represent their voices that aren’t white. There is a lot of joy in the show but the pain and trauma being conveyed through the story is undeniable. The struggles of bullying, being unable to communicate with a parent and an education system that makes it difficult to fit in might be issues that people have faced but how it is faced by Chris and the deaf community is completely different and honestly gut wrenching.
Imagine being a parent and being unable to communicate with your child because BSL lesosns are too expensive? That one sentence immediately reminds you that financial background also creates yet another obstacle for the deaf community and sometimes, extra barriers between hearing parents and their deaf child.
As wonderful as the show was, it felt like it ended rather abruptly without delving further into the story of Raffie or further into Chris’ story itself – often underrepresented in the theatre community and the world as a whole, there is so much more that could be covered but none of that takes away from the impact of the show.
Photo Credit: Charlie Swinbourne
Follow the Signs definitely leaves you thinking and one of Chris’ statements ‘A Black man first’ is a statement that rings in your brain even after the show, reminding you of the tiers of struggles Fonseca and other POC from the deaf community face. Follow the signs is a wonderful showcase of representation and a reminder that you can’t always tell from the exterior the battles that one faces.
Standout Quote or Moment: The contrasting speech therapists’ scene
See If: You enjoy thought provoking fun hip hop shows
Last Impression: A wonderful representation of the deaf and POC community
To get tickets for the show click here
We were kindly gifted these tickets in exchange for a review.
Written by Annabel Leo