Droichead Youth Theatre will return to the stage next month with a new production titled Unspoken at Droichead Arts Centre.
Written by Neil Rathmell in collaboration with Dr Trudy Stewart, the play tells the story of Alex, who is preparing to propose to his girlfriend Helen while also planning to tell her about his stammer. As he gets ready for the evening, Alex is visited by voices from the past including memories of his parents, his best friends and his Nana. Thoughts of love, embarrassment and loss flood his mind as he struggles with the social stigma surrounding speech impediments.
Unspoken will be performed on April 10 and 11 as part of DYTakeover, two weeks of youth led artistic events taking place at the arts centre on Stockwell Street.
The production has been funded through the Arts Council’s Young Ensembles Scheme and is directed by Christina Matthews and Barry Morgan.
The play highlights a story that is rarely discussed and aims to raise awareness about speech impediments. According to stamma.org, around 70 million people worldwide have a stammer. The youth theatre hopes that audience members who experience stammers will feel represented by the character of Alex. Inclusion remains a central part of the organisation and the work it produces.
The production is very much youth led, with all actors currently in fifth or sixth year. Young people have taken on major roles throughout the project including costume and set design, directing and marketing. Each actor has also been involved in several stages of the creative process, giving them a strong sense of ownership of the production.
An interesting feature of the show is that the seven member cast performs a total of 27 characters, with many actors taking on multiple roles throughout the play.
Members of the cast have also shared their thoughts on working on the production.
Anna said: “This play has been incredible to work on. Learning about disabilities and practicing so many different elements of theatre practice has been delightful”.
Iseult said: Working on this production has been a worthwhile challenge, learning about disabilities, theatre, and in particular working on playing so many different characters.
Lizzie said: This process has been enlightening. learning about speech impediments and what who have them have to put up with. Heightening my theatre craft has also been useful, learning about directing, stage manging and marketing has given me lots of life skills. This cast and crew are so warm and welcoming. I hope the audience feels the same when they come see us.
Taillte added: Unspoken has been such an eye-opening experience. It’s been incredibly rewarding to work on, and it’s been amazing to represent the disability community. It’s truly a reminder that disabilities impact daily lives, and it’s important to me that we show that.
Dates: April 10th–11th
Time: 7pm
Tickets: €15 | €12 concession | Group rates available
Venue: Droichead Arts Centre
Stockwell Street, Drogheda
