Dystopia that explores disability. In a world where listening will make you go insane, deafness can become your superpower.
“Deaf as a Post”, premiering at the Barons Court Theatre, takes you into a near-future dystopia plagued by many of the problems we experience today, where zombie-like “Loopers” spread a manic panic through infectious clickbait ear-worms. Written by Shaun Blaney and directed by Emma Copland, this fast-paced thriller explores what happens when we give up trying to listen to each other altogether.
The protagonist Goody, played by writer Blaney, is a deaf, former runner who is quickly enlisted into the forces as the country devolves into mass panic and civil unrest. His struggles of deafness are just as inhibiting within the army as they are in normal life, but also prove to be his greatest asset in the end.
The play is directed with a break-neck speed and utilises the space of the Barons Court Theatre to its true potential. Moments of action are evoked with an impressive degree of tact, while the fast-pace shuttles the audience from one moment to the next with a momentous pace.
Very often, as a method of placing the audience into the shoes of Goody, the dialogue is intentionally garbled or made gibberish to emulate his struggles with lip-reading other characters. This concept is superb, but the execution was subpar at times, as it was difficult to discern what was intended to be garbled language and what was merely rushed delivery by the actors.
Victoria Johnston and Nuala McGowan round out this three-person ensemble, bringing commitment to each of their multiple characters. McGowan’s character of the commander is especially hilarious as a typical Churchill type.
The sound design by Garth McConaghie is also a stand-out, as so much is done to emulate how Goody actually hears, all the way down to the distorted “One More Time” by Daft Punk to the piercing sounds of a coffee machine.
All in all, “Deaf as a Post” is a rollercoaster ride of a play, throwing you into the upturned life of one man whose experiences of disability are explored through a dystopian lens.