The Sixth Sense Collective are taking back control of autistic representation with breathtaking results
Making my way into the bustling Cambridge Arts Theatre, I noticed immediately from the scene title lists displayed onstage that The Sixth Sense Collective were doing things differently. The house lights went down but the audience were never left in the dark; instead, the actors greeted us with a clear outline of the play’s length and running order, and devised a ‘red light warning’ system to warn us when a loud moment was about to happen. At this, an audience member beside me braced to leave, but in the next breath the actors asked us to ‘raise your hand if you need ear defenders’, an accessibility adjustment that enabled this audience member and many others to feel protected in the often unpredictable theatre environment. This opening sequence established The Sixth Sense Collective as a company with integrity, ensuring access to the theatre was genuinely widened both on and off the stage.
Jody O’Neil’s writing is both confronting and heartfelt, and this brilliant ensemble of young autistic actors elevate every word. Moving deftly between light comedy and hard hitting monologues, the play offers insight into the various realities of navigating a world built for neurotypical brains as an autistic person. Threaded with recent statistics, What I (Don’t) Know About Autism hammers home the urgency of dispelling harmful myths and the very real threat they pose to the autistic community. Yet the play strikes a perfect balance between outrage and hope – it is a self-reflection inducing call to arms for neurotypical viewers, certainly, but ultimately fosters connection and acceptance rather than division.
Director Kate Khairdean has a real talent for fantastic scene transitions, threading together the episodic snapshots of O’Neil’s script with stylish flair. The company transform their minimalistic set into countless stunning images, enhanced by an impressive array of masterfully managed costumes and props. I particularly enjoyed the conjuring of a busy restaurant in the ‘First Date’ scene, with the ensemble becoming comically overly-attentive waiters, twirling onto the stage to lay out each piece of cutlery with meticulous precision, summoning this location through the lens of its specific etiquette rules and overwhelming environment. Monte Boam is wonderfully humorous as an oblivious neurotypical boyfriend, unaware that his autistic date (Lottie Talbot) is becoming increasingly distressed. A genius choice to have the waiters remain onstage throughout and deliver each character’s thought process whilst Boam and Talbot remain silent offers affecting insight into their interiority. This felt particularly true to the often extreme contrast between outward reservation and inner turmoil experienced by high masking autistic women, so that when Talbot’s character leaves abruptly because the restaurant feels more like ‘eating dinner in a loud train station,’ we can understand why.
The Sixth Sense Collective share an outstanding synergy, and are clearly dedicated to their craft, forming a seamless ensemble that never misses a beat. This new young company felt entirely at home on the Art’s Theatre’s professional stage, yet, as performer Mathilde Gagne poignantly reminded us in the post show Q+A, the fast-moving, competitive theatre industry is so often not a safe home for neurodivergent performers unless necessary accessibility needs are met. It is exciting to think of the widened world of diverse storylines and performers that could grace our stages if more theatre companies adopted The Sixth Sense Collective’s approach of ambition matched with consideration. I have no doubt this company will continue to use theatre to provoke genuine change and I feel grateful to have seen their compassionate perspective on various autistic experiences. This Sixth Sense Collective are certainly one to watch!
What I (Don’t) Know About Autism is showing for one night only on March 29th at the Cambridge Arts Theatre.