CULTURE CLUB
22-24 Nov
THEATRE SPOTLIGHT EARWIG
BEETLES, FLAPPER GIRLS AND SILENT MOVIES: WRITER AND ACTOR LAURA CROW TELLS US WHAT TO EXPECT FROM HER ACCLAIMED SHOW ABOUT DEAFNESS AND FINDING YOUR OWN VOICE Following a highly successful run at the
Laura. “ Earwig explores how the onus is often put on deaf people to compensate and follow conversations – by positioning yourself so you can see someone’s lips when they’re speaking, for example – and this is especially true in the context of the 20s setting.” Writing at the end of 2019, Laura decided to set the play in this decade as a playful parallel to the dawn of our own 20s. “Then all the awfulness of the last few years happened. But actually we ended up finding even more parallels; a century ago, they’d just had the war and the Spanish flu pandemic,” she adds. The rise of the silent film during this period also takes on an important role. Throughout the show, a projector beams intertitle cards created by Laura (who is also a freelance illustrator) to provide a commentary on what is happening, much like in a silent movie. Except, this narrator appears to become its own character, offering witty observations and sarcastic comments in response to the action on stage. Fundamentally, as well as reinforcing the 20s aesthetic, it also provides a form of captioning that helps to make the play accessible to deaf audiences. The actors also learnt British Sign Language (BSL), which is used at various points in the play without subtitles – giving hearing audiences
Edinburgh Fringe this summer, Time & Again Theatre Company’s latest production Earwig comes to Cambridge later this month. Exploring themes of deafness and disability awareness, the play showcases the story of Marigold, a deaf entomologist – shining a light on the intersection between ableism and sexism against the backdrop of the roaring 20s. We join Marigold just as her best friend returns from a trip to Egypt. The pair discover that an unusual beetle has hitched a ride in a suitcase, prompting insect-obsessed Marigold to try and identify it. This leads her to the local library, where she meets a flapper girl who befriends her – for hidden motives that shall become apparent. These encounters set Marigold on a journey to confront some of the challenges she faces as a deaf female scientist. The play’s protagonist shares some similarities with her creator. Laura Crow, who wrote Earwig and stars as Marigold, lost 50% of her hearing aged two after contracting meningitis, and knows what it’s like to be deaf while presenting as someone who can hear fully. “As Marigold and I use spoken English, people wouldn’t necessarily know that there was anything different about our hearing,” says
an insight into what it’s like to not know what is being said. “We’ve been working with a BSL interpreter throughout production and it’s something we’re keen to incorporate more of in the next stage of the tour,” explains Laura. “In the early 20th century, deaf people were strongly discouraged from using sign language, because people thought they would forget how to read or speak. One of the main themes of this play is about rejecting the idea that disability needs fixing.” Despite addressing some serious issues, Earwig keeps a light touch throughout: “It’s very fast-paced and funny,” says Laura. “It has dance and mime sequences, it’s vibrant and packed full of humour; I think that’s important when telling these kinds of stories.” Earwig comes to the Town and Gown from 22 to 24 November. Book your tickets at townandgown.co.uk
PLAY OF AN AGE Featuring flappers, jazz and an overbearing husband, Earwig promises quick wit, 20s decadence and lots more besides
IMAGES © SHAY ROWAN
10 NOVEMBER 2022 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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