Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, Deafinitely Theatre (The Vagina Monologues, Everyday and 4.48 Psychosis) and Birmingham Rep present the Promise which is written by Paula Garfield and Melissa Mostyn. It is inspired by the extraordinary experiences of deaf people living with dementia. Directed by Paula Garfield, the Promise runs at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre from 30 April to 11 May 2024.
Rita is really confused. She can’t understand why the deaf education system she’s tirelessly championed throughout her teaching career is getting worse and worse, or why there is only one care home in the whole of England that looks after people in her language – on the Isle of Wight.
She’s also confused about where her family is, and why she can’t remember where the milk goes…
The Artiscape spoke with Anna Seymour about her role in this production
What attracted you to the script?
Seymour: The amount of distortion in it. Distortion of time, memory and relationships. The play isn’t linear, and it switches between present day and the 1980s. I’m required to adopt different signing styles – 1980s BSL, present day BSL, formal BSL, home signs which is very challenging but exciting.
The script is multi-layered and while it has deaf characters, it’s not directly about deafness which is refreshing for me as a deaf artist. It is about the experiences of dementia within the deaf community. Dementia is something I didn’t know a lot about, so it has opened a whole new world for me where I’m learning a lot.
Can you tell us about the character you play?
Seymour: I play Rita, a deaf woman living with dementia. The play shows her journey of dementia, from the early days deteriorating into advanced stages. Rita is a deaf woman passionate and fierce about deaf education and deaf human rights. She is a teacher of the deaf in Newcastle and has a deaf husband and a deaf son. She develops dementia, which affects her relationships with everyone around her.
How do you prepare for a role such as this?
Seymour: I watch films, documentaries and TV series with themes of dementia. I read medical information about dementia and follow the Deaf Dementia – BSL Facebook page. I watch Instagram videos. Paula Garfield, the director of Deafinitely Theatre, arranged several Zoom meetings with deaf people, who have had deaf relatives and friends living with dementia, sharing their experiences. We had sessions with Dr Emma Ferguson-Coleman, a Research Fellow at the University of Manchester about her research of deaf people with dementia.
We do a lot of character work, ask questions and improvise in rehearsals which continues to help us develop and explore our characters more.
What are you most looking forward to about performing in this play?
Seymour: Sharing it with audiences. Seeing what conversations it will generate. I’m looking forward to seeing what new moments/insights/emotions we will discover through performing it. As well as having all the elements of the set design, lights and costumes come together on stage.
What do you think an audience will enjoy about the play?
Seymour: I think audiences will enjoy seeing the deaf spectrum portrayed on stage. We show a lot of the different BSL accents/styles and offer an insight on how dementia affects those in the deaf community. I think it will be eye opening for them.
