LOUDER IS NOT ALWAYS CLEARER | STAGE REVIEW
****
Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Wed 7 Feb.
Louder is Not Always Clearer is a fascinating hybrid of a piece, existing somewhere between a work of theatre, with a script and narrative through-line, and a piece of performance art, asking us to engage with the physical presence of a performer. Fortunately, it is devoid of the actorly constraints of the former and it lacks the obtuse artiness so often associated with the latter.
The work is an autobiographical one-man piece about Jonny Cotsen, told by the man himself. Born deaf, his parents were reluctant labelling him as such, giving him hearing aids and having him undergo speech therapy and learning to lip read. It wasn’t until he was in his 30s that he actually began to identify as deaf, and the show is about both this journey into self-realisation as well as an often humorous and occasionally heartfelt look at the day-to-day experience of being Jonny Cotsen.
In the hands of a less interesting man, this could have easily been solipsistic and self-indulgent, but remarkably Jonny, as well as the production team around him (director Gareth Clark, movement director Catherine Bennett and sound designer Chris Young), have achieved a piece that feels of a whole. It relies on empathy (not, it must be said, sympathy – there’s not an ounce of self-pity in Jonny Cotsen) to build a relationship with the audience, finding imaginative and visually-engaging ways to describe a variety of experiences as Jonny experiences them; the pounding bass of the nightclubs Jonny loves going to, the discombobulating sense of having to focus almost entirely on someone’s lips in a conversation, the struggles with word sounds. All conveyed imaginatively and relatably to both hearing and deaf audiences – and relatably is the key word here. The performance is entirely accessible to both audiences (as Jonny stated in an interview with us earlier, the deaf community would have most likely skinned him alive had he not made it so, quite rightly), but accessibility is not altogether that difficult. Making it relatable requires finding a way through the experiences of both deaf and hearing audiences and speaking to both at the same time. A much harder task, and one which {Louder is Not Always Clearer} meets comfortably.
Jonny Cotsen’s performance is excellent throughout, making much use of his physicality – though he’s not tall, he has these gangly, stretchy limbs which liven up the comedic elements of the show considerably, whilst his darting, searching eyes give pathos to the emotional side of things. Extra props must go the sound designer Chris Young’s imaginative and smart use of sound throughout, enlivening the experience. The song at the end, with a sign-language singalong, was a particular highlight, and very catchy too. Perhaps the most powerful moment in the show is an audio clip (with subtitles) of Jonny’s mother, recollecting her decision to try and raise Jonny as if he were simply “partially-deaf” instead of completely deaf. It’s a moving and powerful moment, entirely open to the difficulties and anxieties of parenthood, made all the more powerful by Jonny’s apparent acceptance and understanding of her decision. This is an excellent show, and comes highly recommended.
words FEDOR TOT
Louder Is Not Always Clearer is currently touring Wales.