FUNNY, DARING, HOPEFUL, INSIGHTFUL
Theatreview
By Terry MacTavish, Mon, 17 Jun 2013
At school, in the fourth form, friend Jen'fer Esplin and I learned the alphabet of sign language so we could communicate in Assembly without the prefects catching us. It was frustratingly slow, spelling each word, but thrilling being part of a tiny secret tribe.
It's also the first in the Fortune's ''True Grit'' series. Directed by Lara Macgregor, the production brings together a bunch of very fine actors. Christopher, the explosive, egotistical father, is played by Paul Barrett.
Mother Beth, confused but conciliatory, is acted by Catherine Downes. Sarah Thomson takes on the part of Billy's sister Ruth, who has operatic aspirations, and brother Daniel, who depends on Billy in ways that only gradually become apparent, is played by Ben Van Lier.
Nathan Mudge, as Billy, and Sophie Hambleton, as girlfriend Sylvia who introduces him to the deaf world, have the hardest tasks of all, succeeding brilliantly in demanding roles involving fast-paced sign language and the speech of people who can't hear properly. Read more...
