27 Oct 2010

Deaf actor takes lead West End role in Tribes

Despite being completely deaf, actor Jacob Casselden is taking a leading role in a new play, Tribes, opening in London, as Channel 4 News Culture Editor Matthew Cain found out.

A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to attend the opening night of street dance musical Into the Hoods in London’s West End. I loved the show and was bowled over by the work of one dancer in particular – Denny Haywood. When I later found out that Denny is profoundly deaf, I was stunned. I could not help leaving the theatre that night asking myself how he managed to pull off such an incredible performance.

The same question is repeatedly asked of one of our leading classical musicians, Evelyn Glennie. Over the years, she has found herself having to explain time and time again that she is able to create music by feeling the vibrations that make up sound. And more to the point, this is how all of us hear.

Extra sensitivity

The difference is that most of us are able to feel vibrations through our ear-drums; the hearing impaired obviously are not. But many of them, like Glennie, develop an extra sensitivity in other parts of their bodies that compensates for this. As she is fond of saying to ever inquisitive journalists, “My whole body is my ear”.

Both artists sprung to mind when I recently watched Nina Raine’s new play Tribes at the Royal Court Theatre. Amongst other things, the play is an exploration of deafness, and at its heart is actor Jacob Casselden, widely believed to be the first profoundly deaf actor to play a leading role on the London stage.

Jacob’s performance is extremely accomplished and its authenticity prompts the audience to question not just our attitudes to deafness but the very basis of the way we communicate with each other.

And some of these questions linger for a long time…

Footage of Dynasty used in this report appears courtesy of www.cbsdrama.co.uk