Worthing Theatres: life with an autistic brother

Oddly Moving present a touching new production titled He Ain't Heavy as part of Worthing Theatres' Summer of Circus.
He Ain't HeavyHe Ain't Heavy
He Ain't Heavy

The physical theatre show depicting life through the eyes of a younger brother with autism tours to the Pavilion Theatre on Saturday, June 30 at 7pm.

Performer Grania Pickard tells the story of growing up with her disabled autistic brother Sean using physical theatre, aerial circus, audience interaction and storytelling. Through puppetry, the audience see how Sean walks, talks and interacts with the world and how his unique take on life has shaped and influenced Grania.

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Grania said: “When people ask me about my brother I usually give them the short answer: he has severe learning disabilities, epilepsy and autism. He Ain’t Heavy is the long answer. As Sean cannot go on a national tour due to a love of routine and no concept of theatre, we are going to bring him into the room in other ways.”

Grania trained as a dramaturg at Bretton Hall before directing shows for Out of the Box Productions, Sensory Labyrinth Productions and Creative Carnival and assistant directing for Hot House Productions.

She explained: “Sean being different was a quiet certainty that formed who am I but was something I rarely mentioned to others. This show grew out of a desire to explore this as I grew older and reflected more on family and responsibility; in part out of regret that he is unable to attend milestone family events (birthdays, weddings, anniversaries etc) and in part because I became aware that at some point in the future he will become my sole responsibility. This came with the dawning realisation that my experience isn’t unique, that there are thousands of other people quietly going about their days who share my version of normal.”

He Ain’t Heavy is performed by Grania Pickard and Sophie Postlethwaite, with aerial choreography and movement directed by Charlotte Mooney, co-founder of Ockham’s Razor.

01903 206206 or www.worthingtheatres.co.uk.

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