Rituals ask us to remember, to cleanse, to let go. But they can also remind us of everything left unsaid.
Arjun is called back to India to perform the final duty of the eldest son: preparing his father’s body for cremation according to Hindu funeral rites. The complication is both practical and personal - Arjun has long rejected many of the traditions his father revered, and more painfully, his father never learnt to sign, and as a Deaf man that has left years of distance between them.
As he tends to his father, placing the familiar, often misplaced, glasses onto his head, he signs with a wry, bittersweet recognition: ‘Now that’s my dad!’. These spectacles embody him, and when Arjun tries them on, he is instantly transformed into his father.
With each step of the ritual, memories are churned to the surface to take us on a well-paced colourful journey from his youth to the present. Meyyappan shifts seamlessly in fluid gestures morphing not only to Arjun’s father but his stern teacher, a smothering aunt, and playful childhood friend who opens his eyes to Sign language and a new world.
Driven by a resonant score with playful Indian motifs and a sound design felt as much as heard, words and images flicker, swirl, and scatter on the rear screen in time with Arjun’s movements, guiding the audience through the story while highlighting emotion and memory. At times the abstract imagery or unfamiliar ritual details can be a little unclear, but these small gaps never diminish the story’s emotional impact or Meyyappan’s compelling performance.
There is a balance of grief and humour, tenderness with sentimentality, and Arjun’s bond with his own son Krishna underscores the power of communication, as he strives to connect where his own father could not, adding a layer to the story of bereavement and family.
A visually striking spectacle of love, loss, and unfinished conversations. This is a piece where ritual meets memory, sound meets silence, and movement speaks louder than words.
Show Times: 18 to 24 August 2025 at 3.50pm. (All shows integrate Sign Language in ASL and BSL and are captioned)
Tickets: £17 (£15) to £19 (£17).
Suitability: 14+ (Note – Show contains scenes of violence, strong language, occasional flashing lights & videos, loud music, heavy use of bass and distressing or potentially triggering themes including grief, death, parental abuse and trauma).