A powerful Deaf-led theatre show about family and farewells heads to Derby next Spring

In a new non-verbal storytelling show told through a Deaf man’s perspective, Scottish-Singaporean theatremaker and Deaf artist Ramesh Meyyappan blends together physical comedy, playful use of projection and a powerful soundscape that conveys how desperately one wants to truly listen and be listened to.

Co-devised by Scottish-Singaporean theatremaker and Deaf artist Ramesh Meyyappan and Co-Artistic Director of Ad Infinitum George Mann, Last Rites follows Arjun who has to travel from the UK to India to perform his father’s funeral rights. But how can he perform an ancient Hindu practice that was never passed on? In life, his father refused to learn sign language, but in death Arjun needs to find a way to say goodbye. Diving into memory sequences examining the impact of this decision on his own upbringing, Arjun also grapples with the challenge of being a dad himself. Created in response to Meyyappan and Mann’s recollection of losing their fathers, and their own lived experiences of becoming fathers, the show celebrates the transformative power of grief and parenthood.

Ramesh Meyyappan performs as intergenerational characters throughout the performance, supported by projection, bass-heavy sound design and physical storytelling to create a piece that includes some BSL with creative captions and is accessible to deaf, Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing audiences. This intimate, final ceremony brings to life a rich tapestry of shared memories and a complex relationship cut short by death.

Co-creators Ramesh Meyyappan and George Mann said, “We are delighted this piece will tour nationally to mid-scale venues, where historically underrepresented perspectives like those of our protagonist, Arjun, haven't been given much stage time. When we began the creative process for what was to become Last Rites, we discovered that we shared so much - complex relationships with our fathers, losing them around the same time, then becoming Dads ourselves - and yet there were many things that were different and unique to our lived experiences. We found ourselves creating a play that’s a universal human story, but through a Deaf perspective. The experience of losing a parent and becoming one is hard to describe. Theatre feels like the right medium to explore this experience, a space that we hope will provoke audiences to think, connect, and share their own stories.”

Last Rites is at Derby Theatre, 23 - 24 Jan, 7:30pm. For tickets and more information visit: https://derbytheatre.co.uk/event/last-rites/