Review: Tribes
Image: Photo: Clare Hawley
It’s no surprise that people who are hearing impaired face exclusion, but how many of us really understand how this feels like? This is just one of the questions that Nina Raine explores in her play Tribes.
Director Susanna Dowling has seamlessly adapted Raine’s play (originally making its debut in London’s Royal Court Theatre) for local audiences, interweaving Australian nuances and humour into this complex human drama.
The cast do a fine job of portraying a seemingly normal family, who believe they are being more inclusive by not ever communicating in sign language with Billy, the only member of the family who is deaf. When Billy meets Sylvia, who is experiencing gradual deafness, he views his parents and siblings in a new light, and consequently the family dynamic is changed forever. Sylvia’s degenerative experience is just as absorbing to witness.
All the relationships and issues are handled with great sensitivity, further highlighting the talents of Dowling and the cast. Also worthy of mention is the set, lighting and effects which are used in interesting ways to convey the unspoken, internal turmoil of the characters. Tribes is a wonderful and emotionally gripping play about the human condition and an insight into how people who are hearing impaired connect with others, within and outside the deaf community. (ASim)
Until Jul 2, various show times. Ensemble Theatre, 78 McDougall Street, Kirribilli. $66-$73. Tickets & info: ensemble.com.au or 02 9929 0644
****1/2
BY ALICIA SIM
