★★★
Step into Dylan Ward’s world: a bedroom filled with drawings scattered across the stage and on the audience’s seats as a way to invite us in. Starting in darkness, lights come up as Dylan (played by writer and performer Joe Dennis) empties a shoe box of action figures on the floor, lining them up and creating worlds for them to exist in. Starting as observers of Dylan playing, this scene of childhood bliss is paused as Dylan stands to introduce himself and explain that he is autistic. We are then taken through a series of milestones and life-shaping moments in Ward’s life, exploring the challenges of growing up, confronting rejection, grief and feeling bothered by non-autistic “muggles”.
Throughout the play, a narrator talks about Dylan and autism in a wildlife documentary style. We witness Dylan become increasingly frustrated by this dehumanising narrator, this lens that treats him like an animal to observe, and the adults who othered him throughout his life. Reflective of how many autistic people can feel.
Through different life stages, communicated to the audience using large comic-style illustrations, the audience witness Ward go through adolescence, university, dating, employment and how he managed during Covid-19. While aspects of Dylan develop and change as time passes, what remains consistent is his anger and frustration due to unfair treatment by others because he is autistic.
The play is semi-autobiographical. It draws from reality, yet also feels like it relies on some autism tropes in a way that can feel at times like a caricature. While the show description promised “Monty Pythonesque humour and real-world drama”, I felt the play rushed through stories, particularly in the latter half that suddenly shifts from anger to happy ending, which fell slightly short in delivery. As an autistic audience member, I came away without feeling a connection with Dylan in the way you would expect after spending an hour immersed in his world. While this show did not fully absorb me, Joe Dennis and Will Sutherland’s Fringe debut shows promise for future shows with this passionate performance.
Tides (An Autism Story) is on at Lime Studio at Greenside @ George Street until August 23rd
