Truth, Masking and Performance: Exploring staging 'authentic' autistic thea

Autism is a condition diagnosed by external observation of behaviour. To successfully perform in society, autistic individuals often 'mask' their autistic symptoms to appear more 'correct' or 'normal'.

Theatre is a medium where an external audience observes performances and draws inferences. To successfully perform as an actor, one must pick the mask that endears one to the audience.

Is 'authentic' autistic performance possible?

Award-winning performance company ASYLUM Arts have spent the last year developing a meta-theatrical performance Autistic as F*ck which interrogates these questions. Three autistic performers desperately attempt to perform the ideal show despite knowing it will never quite be right. Alongside this ASYLUM have run a country-wide engagement programme collecting autistic perspectives.

This event will see ASYLUM Arts Artistic Director and Oxford TORCH Interdisciplinary Fellow Stephen Bailey deliver:

• A presentation of findings, observations and challenges in defining what neurodivergent performance might be.
• Sharing some of the work/exercises used.
• Discussion of issues raised with a continued interest in additional neurodivergent perspectives.

Stephen is an award-winning director and theatre maker. They are currently Associate Director on the RSC/Royal Court production of 4.48 Psychosis (running in The Other Place). They are an Oxford Playhouse EVOLVE Artist and have recently developed work with Battersea Arts Centre, Oxford Playhouse and the National Theatre Studio. He was Artistic Lead of NPO Vital Xposure 2023-2025. Stephen won the 2022 Royal Theatrical Support Trust Sir Peter Hall Director’s Award, directing The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man for a national tour with Nottingham Playhouse. He’s previously worked with the National Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre, Royal Opera House, Graeae, Young Vic, Royal Court and European Theatre Convention. Stephen has trained with LAMDA, the National Theatre Directors’ Course, the Young Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

ASYLUM Arts are a Community Interest Company focused on the creation of new D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent stories which interrogate form and narrative. Previous work includes the multi-award-winning national and international tour of FlawBored's It's a Motherf**king Pleasure; the national tour of Tom Powell's Surfacing, Autistic as F*ck at the Barbican Centre and Starring...Not Us! at The Albany for London Liberty Festival. ASYLUM productions have won the NDT/Underbelly Untapped Award, VAULT Show of the Week and Greenwich/LET Award. Nominations include six Off West End Awards and VAULT Origins Award. ASYLUM are Barbican Open Lab Artists. Autistic as F*ck has been developed with the support of Oxford Playhouse EVOLVE, Battersea Arts Centre, Oxford TORCH and Arts Council England.

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