Night Classes back by popular demand
New North East dates for Unfolding Theatre's inclusive show
Annie Rigby, candid as ever, admits she had her doubts about how her new theatre show Night Classes might be received when it premiered at ARC in Stockton a year ago.
“It’s a new piece of work, it’s not an adaptation of a book and it didn’t have anybody from Coronation Street in it. And these are difficult times; people have less disposable income.
“So I did think it might be a bit of a tough sell.”
Happily, her worries proved unfounded. Of the two performances of Night Classes, one sold out and the other wasn’t far off.
“Also,” says Annie, “we had the biggest deaf audience we’ve ever had.”
That was important. Annie and her Newcastle-based company, Unfolding Theatre, have been exploring ways in which theatre can be made truly accessible to deaf people since first working with deaf writer and performer EJ Raymond.
The relationship began, says Annie, when EJ came on board for a project called Multiverse Lab which began online during the pandemic and then toured communities.
“It was all about health, a project commissioned by a number of different partners such as the National Institute of Health Research and Newcastle University.
“We had four hosts offering different languages. We recorded a version in Urdu and we invited EJ to create a video welcome in British Sign Language.”
Subsequently EJ applied for a role as a creative associate with Unfolding Theatre and floated the idea of setting up a theatre group for young deaf people.
“At the time,” says Annie, “we wondered if we were the right company to support this because we didn’t have huge knowledge about deaf culture.
“But we decided in the end it seemed silly to say no to the opportunity to do something that wasn’t being catered for, so EJ joined us in 2022 and founded the North East Deaf Youth Theatre.
“It’s one of three youth theatres we run and has proved really successful. It’s a big part of what we do now as a company with a programme that runs all year round and a summer camp in the school holiday.”
The initiative led to Night Classes, directed by Annie, written by Lisette Auton and Becci Sharrock and performed by EJ and hearing actors Alex Elliott and Harrison Rowley-Lynn.
The format is a little quirky which won’t surprise devotees of Unfolding Theatre which has performed in all sorts of unusual spaces and not always with a conventional narrative thread.
“The idea is that you’ve stepped into a space called Night Classes that is about learning,” explains Annie.
“You’re greeted by three guides and we learn at the beginning that it’s the last shift of one the guides and the first shift of another, the youngest.
“They welcome everyone and explain the context.
“There’s a line in it that felt true last year and feels truer this year – that out there things are tough but this is a calm space where we can reflect and relax before stepping back into that world.”
Divided into three groups, audience members then travel around three different “learning – or unlearning – experiences”, each led by one of the actors roughly representative of past, present and future.
Having seen Night Classes in Stockton, I can vouch that the blend of deaf and hearing performers – and audience members – is interesting, as is the flamboyant set designed and made by artist Lady Kitt.
Annie says many people have become used to the idea of a BSL translator, whether in theatre or on television, but it’s still unusual to see deaf actors given a role.
A novelty of Night Classes is a deaf actor’s dialogue translated for hearing members of the audience.
Another is its benignly interactive nature which has given rise to some interesting unscripted moments, as Annie recalls.
“People would make each other laugh or sometimes share experiences that surprised other audience members.
“I remember when people in the audience were asked about things they would like to get rid of and somebody said mobile phones.
“But then someone else, a deaf person, disagreed, saying what a huge difference video calling had made for deaf people when communicating with each other.
“I’m obviously not a deaf person so understanding what the deaf audience experience is has been a really brilliant thing.”
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The success of Night Classes in Stockton has resulted in the two new performances, one at Gosforth Civic Theatre, where the North East Deaf Youth Theatre holds its monthly sessions, and the other at Sunderland venue Seventeen Nineteen.
Annie says she hopes the show will be revived again in future and perhaps gain a bit of a cult following with each performance regarded as a special event.
In a quiet rehearsal room at Byker, she explains that times are difficult for theatre companies too – those that have survived.
Budgets are always tight and although Unfolding Theatre receives regular funding from Arts Council England, the time is fast approaching when a new application must be made – a time-consuming process for a company with a tiny staff.
Then there’s the pandemic hangover.
“Audience behaviours have changed radically,” says Annie.
“There was anxiety around Covid for all sorts of reasons but people also got out of the habit of going out. This isn’t a theatre-specific problem. It’s why loads of pubs and bars have closed.
“There’s also a tendency now for people to focus their money on a big ticket event like a Taylor Swift concert, so grassroots venues have been struggling to rebuild their audience.”
Annie hopes Unfolding Theatre can navigate through the uncertainty and build on the relationships it has developed around the region.
Recently the company was invited by Newcastle City Council to create a piece with its youth theatre groups to perform at a conference on health inequality.
It is also planning a regional tour of its show Here Be Dragons along with a programme of workshops for children.
But before that, with EJ joining the cast, there will be special deaf inclusive performances of the show at three Newcastle schools, Jesmond Park Academy and Benton Park and Broadwood primaries.
“We’re really excited about all of that,” says Annie, a natural optimist even though she says her optimism has been challenged.
You can catch Night Classes at Gosforth Civic Theatre on Friday, March 14, at 7.30pm or at Seventeen Nineteen, Sunderland, on Saturday, March 15 at 7pm.