Two photos side by side separated by a purple line. On the left is a close shot of the face of Jasmine Thien (an East Asian woman in her mid-20s). Her eyes are closed and patterns of dappled light are cast across her face. The other image is a black and white photo of Helena Ascough (a white, blonde-haired woman in her mid-20s). She stands speaking animatedly into a microphone in a stand, with her right hand pointing toward her head. She wears a denim jacket, a tartan skirt, a white t-shirt and glasses.

Extant, Helena Ascough and Jasmin Thien Present: ‘No Future’ & ‘I Dream In Colour’

A double bill of new work by Extant’s Associate Artists, showcasing the cutting edge of access-led theatre created by blind and visually impaired theatre artists.

Camden People’s Theatre

Mon 27 Mar 2023, 19:15

No Future – written and performed by Helena Ascough

A new punk rock influenced autobiographical solo show exploring discrimination within the British education system. No Future examines the trials and tribulations of being a visually impaired person both as a teacher and as a child: snack breaks, the beloved TV on wheels and kids making plenty of noise.

With an original soundtrack inspired by The Sex Pistols, No Future’s aesthetics will transport you back into the classroom you did not remember at school! The show aims to give insight into the difficulties disabled people face throughout education, to inspire audience members to overcome adversity, celebrate difference and practice kindness. Get ready for school bells, fire alarms and plenty of highs and lows – you may need a timeout when Helena is through with you.

I Dream in Colour by Jasmin Thien

A one-woman play exploring memory, loss, and the intersection between disability and culture, drawn from Jasmin’s experiences growing up fighting eye cancer and eventually blindness as a Bruneian-born Chinese.

In the waiting room of a renowned eye surgeon, Emma is preparing for the enucleation (removal) of her one remaining eye. The eye containing a dormant tumour. The eye her parents fought so desperately to keep. But being here is unlocking much more than she anticipated. What if the only way to move forward is to look back, not just into your own past, but the past of our ancestors?

Told through personal recollections and reflections interwoven with audio recordings of voices from Emma’s past and present, I Dream in Colour portrays a desperate journey across continents to heal and restore sight, the struggles growing up in a community reliant on superstition, and a journey towards understanding and forgiving a culture that labels disability as a curse.

Both shows are supported by Extant and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

Click the below link to access the programme for No Future and I Dream in Colour:

Programme

To read more about how the shows went, please visit: https://extant.org.uk/extant-associate-artists-dream-of-a-bright-future/