Deaf as a Post

April 9, 2024

9^th – 20^th April 2024

A runner stops to listen to a newscast on his headphones, announcing civil unrest in a dystopian London. News spreads, and soon everyone is talking about it. The runner enters a café, and a conversation takes place with the owner about the drama unfolding on the streets but their words are drowned out by background noise and many voices. We cannot hear the café owner. At this point, we become frustrated with the sound levels in the theatre, and wonder how we will sit through 80 minutes of poor tech, until the runner (Goody, Shaun Blaney) takes out his hearing aid and the noise levels change to a mixture of interference and low-level muffle. We realise that we have entered into the world of a person with hearing loss – a theme that continues throughout the play.

“Writer Blaney (d/Deaf) and Director Emma Copland create an immersive, thought-provoking experience”

Award-winning actor and writer Blaney (d/Deaf) and director Emma Copland create an immersive, thought-provoking experience, giving the audience an insight into the challenges faced by d/Deaf people on a daily basis “in a world overwhelmed by noise”.

A battle is taking place between the army, dressed in blue boiler suits and red belts, and zombie-like ‘Loopers’, who as their name describes, have ‘gone loopy’, but how? The army must discover the cause, and the opposition be defeated before they take over. Main character, Goody, appears to be immune, and he is enlisted to undertake a secret mission and help the army win the war.

Against a backdrop of the intimate, dark basement theatre, the hazy lighting, smoke and continuous soundscape create an atmosphere that batters the senses. We witness regular moments of misplaced words, and experience sound variance from the soundtrack that reminds us of the continuous battles that a d/Deaf person can face.

Graduating with a BA (Hons) in Drama from Queen’s University Belfast in 2008, Blaney gave a good, natural performance, supported by Victoria Johnston and Nuala McGowan who took on several roles and different accents. Some of the characters were overplayed, and stereotypical (The General, and Hamish the Scot), which, taken more seriously would add more depth and meaning to the play. It was hammy at times, which let down the play’s intent. It could be easily adapted for screen as the script lends to varied locations and special effects, and certainly has a role to play in d/Deaf awareness.