Self-Raising is an emotional whirlwind of an experience which must be enjoyed by all. Growing up Deaf in a family with a secret concealed from both her siblings and herself, shaped Jenny Sealey’s childhood. Discovering the truth a few years ago, she was sent into a spin as she realised that her life could have been very different.
Renowned artist Jenny Sealey has been the Artistic Director of Graeae since 1997. She has pioneered a new theatrical language developing the ‘Aesthetics of Access’ as an artistic expression; the creative integration of sign language, captioning and audio description in performance. The use of language in this performance, not only allows the performance to be accessible but inspires those who may not be educated in theatre accessibility, displaying to them the ways that this can be achieved. The intertwining of audio description, captioning and sign language allows a range of opportunities to interpret the show. Her relationship with her “terp” (interpreter) who she refers to in the introduction as her friend is playful, they use occasional conversation between them to stylistically describe when there is a physical shift in the play.
Jenny Sealey has a heart-warming, naturalistic approach. She is honest in her performance, although the content of the show creates an interpersonal feel, it truly is her delivery which emotes the performance. Jenny has a heightened expressive way of communicating the tone of the text, which allows the audience to know how and what they should feel as she guides them through her story. The material of the show itself at times felt like it was to lead down a more sinister route, I feel the more pressing issues that she has personally encountered are somewhat brushed over, I feel there could be more exploration of the exploitation of the vulnerable and in today’s climate I feel this could be a really powerful stance, although, that may be another discussion for another time given the short time slot of the play. Jenny brings a lot of fun to the piece with her audience interaction and dancing. There is a cathartic feeling which engulfs the room as flour is spilled over the stage.
Deaf awareness is touched on during the play using the audience to describe her lip reading ability and the way that deaf people’s conversations can be convoluted between multiple people talking, background noise etc. She describes the alienation of big gatherings, not being able to follow along. She addresses these issues with a light heartedness, it’s not an in your face call for action but more of a call for awareness. We must be mindful in society to make conscious effort in making every day life accessible for those who have any disability, one small ripple of effort goes a long way.
The set is simple yet effective using light boxes which are designed as kitchen cupboards, these are shifted to create different dynamics on the stage. The multimedia aspect and skills of her son Jonah adds a sense of warmth and humor to the play using old photographs as a tool to drive the narrative. The relationship between mother and son is highlighted in the interaction Jennyy has with the media.
Self-Raising encourages a period of self reflection, encouraging the audience to ask questions before it is too late. Although the secrets that Jenny was asked to keep held a burden over her for so long beauty rose from it in the end. This performance wowed me in its impact given its laid back approach; having a sister who is deaf the play drove me through a whirlwind of emotions as I found familiarity in some of their tribulations. Jenny is a natural storyteller and how wonderful it was to hear her voice.
Self-Raising by is running at the QueenDome at the Pleasance Dome August 8-13th,15-20th and 22-27th at 12:30. Grab your tickets here: Self-Raising | Theatre | Edinburgh Festival Fringe (edfringe.com)
Theatre Scotland 
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