A pivotal time for shaping our societies for the better moving forward, the power of the voices of all sections of society has been a crucial part of ensuring old ways of living are challenged, dismantled and rebuilt for the better. Theatre a fantastic way of putting resonant ideas across, to inform, entertain and ultimately bring sections of society together. Asking the question ‘How do we come together to make decisions that are in the best interests of a civic society?’, Back to Back Theatre present The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes – a public meeting chaired by disabled artists placing their lived experiences to the fore.
A safe space to air thoughts, feelings and grievances The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes engagingly fosters conversation beyond the stage, Sarah Mainwaring, Scott Price and Simon Laherty raising topics of human rights, respecting boundaries, sexual misconduct and the frameworks around disability – live captioning aiding accessibility yet serving as a siri-type, technological all seeing eye, a mechanism there to support, yet claiming itself to be sentient – something actively challenged within the show. We’re offered a complex delve into the lives of the trio, and how experiences either align, or differ drastically. The show cultivating empathy and encouraging thought.
A relaxed version of the show, sensory elements are considered more so, meaning no surprise sounds or bright lights are to be expected, and audience members can move about as they wish – this encouraging a calm and non-pressured environment. We witness a lively discussion about the term ‘intellectual disability’, the term ‘neurodiverse’ seen as a more inclusive way of embodying the lived experience – the representation of disability and how this is approached something that differs dependent on who you talk to – this is incredibly important to listen to and take in. Handled with a mellow comedic air, The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes certainly entertains and broadens horizons too.
The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter becomes was shown from Wednesday 19th to Saturday 22nd October 2022 at the Battersea Arts Centre. To find out more about the production, visit here…
The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter becomes will show from Wednesday 26th to Friday 28th October 2022 at Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts and Wednesday 2nd to Saturday 5th November 2022 at Leeds Playhouse and Transform Leeds.
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