Review: EVERYDAY, Birmingham Rep

Photo credit: Becky Bailey

Combining British Sign Language and spoken English in their uniquely bilingual style, Deafinitely Theatre bring a visually impressive and crucially important world premiere to the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.  

Everyday is a new work written and directed by Paula Garfield, drawing on interviews carried out with women and non-binary people in the deaf community exploring their experiences of domestic abuse.

A talented and strong cast of four actors, Fifi Garfield, Kelsey Cherie Gordon, Zoe McWhinney and Bea Webster, are four “witches” who come together on the eve of the new moon to perform a ritual of community and catharsis, gathering their stories of surviving abuse and providing support to enable each other to move on.

The visual effects on the backdrop of the stage add successfully to the atmosphere of the individual stories and are in keeping with the feel of the piece and makes it easy to focus on the information of the stories the audience are being told. These stories are told with compassion and empathy and there is a clear respect for the true survivors lives that have been called upon to produce this piece.

Domestic violence takes many shapes and forms, and is without doubt a topic that needs to be brought to people’s attention, to increase the general understanding of the subject and this production is a much-needed and breath-taking addition to the cause.

It’s funny and heartbreaking in suitably equal measure and reminds us that we must remember, that we are survivors, we are warriors and if we need help it is there.

Informative, educational and appropriate.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Rachel Louise Martin

Everyday plays at Birmingham Rep Theatre until 18 June, with tickets available here.