★★★★
This heartfelt piece tells Jenny’s story of growing up deaf in a family with a dark secret. She shares her struggle to conform to an inaccessible society, starting by presenting sacks of self-raising flour named after her family to the audience.
Although she initially intended to adapt ‘Flour Babies’ by Anne Fine to relate it to her life in Nottingham, Jenny shares a sweet and heartfelt monologue about her family, complete with audio descriptions by her son of each family member’s photo.
The interpreter becomes a part of the show, and it is lovely to see a woman so proud of her deafness despite being told at a young age that she would be deaf until 16 when she was mature enough to get surgery to reverse it.
One thing that stood out to me in the show was that she was always stuck doing the washing up because being deaf at big family dinners means you can’t follow the conversation, mainly if there are loads of people talking. It’s more impactful seeing played out in front of you, you can feel how lonely she feels doing that chore.
If you are looking for an accessible comedy which shows a glimpse into life growing up deaf in a hearing family with secrets. This is the show for you!
Self-Raising is on at Pleasance Done – Queen Dome till August 27th
Review by Ciara McCarthy
