Blindspot opens Thursday 15th October at the Bread & Roses Theatre, inviting audiences to examine their own assumptions. Learn more about what you can expect:
1: What inspired the story of Sky and Noah?
As a woman of a certain undisclosed age… having or not having children is a hot topic of conversation. More recently I’m seeing women openly choose to take their time, prioritise other parts of their life first, or choose not to have children, and with a lot of the narrative that I grew up with, that way of thinking seemed like it belonged to a man rather than a woman in heterosexual relationships.
Aside from having or not having babies, miscommunication in relationships is something I find really interesting. I wanted to find a way to tell a story that portrays both character’s truths and misunderstandings without creating a villain. Particularly during a time when conversations around incel culture, masculinity and feminism can cause us to feel more divided than ever, I hoped to find a way for Sky and Noah to hold on to a lot of love and respect with each other while still fundamentally disagreeing on something that determines the future of their relationship.
2: How does the non-linear structured enhance the storytelling?
The non-linear structure allows us to show the pivotal moments of the relationship that lead the characters to the point our audience will meet them at, at the beginning of the play.
It could feel a little strange that Sky and Noah are in a long term, loving, happy relationship, and have such different ideas of where their relationship is heading. By taking you on a walk down memory lane, we give a little insight to the three sides of the story, where the misunderstandings began and expectations were built.
3: What key themes do you want audiences to reflect upon?
Empathy, expectation, communication, and assumptions. If a member of our audience walks away feeling like they’d rather choose to have a hard conversation than avoid it, then we’d consider it a win! We hope they might reflect on their communication in their own relationships and perhaps leave with a little more empathy for those they disagree with.
4: What does the play challenge assumptions about love and relationships?
I think Blind Spot highlights the ability we all have to build a particular narrative in our own heads, and let our wishful thinking spiral. Sky and Noah’s assumptions paired with not communicating their feelings and ideas for the future, lead them to this make or break point in their relationship.
5: Where would you like the play to develop from here?
We’re hoping that Lambeth Fringe Festival is the start of a long life for Blind Spot. With the right support I’d love to develop the script and see it in front of audiences around the country. There might be a screenplay in the pipeline too – watch this space!
6: What has been the most enjoyable part about creating Blindspot?
For me as a writer and producer, seeing the play exist for the first time doesn’t get old. As well as going from spending so much time working alone, to having the support, ideas and shared ownership from the whole team. This is the first time that this story is going to be shared with an audience, so we’re quite early on in our rehearsals (don’t worry we’ll be ready for you). Ironically, I’m really enjoying releasing my own expectations and attachments to what I thought it should be, each time our Director, Samantha puts her stamp on the play, or Nathan brings his character to life. With anything great, it’s the people that make it, and working with them is at the top of the list. Huge thank you to Samantha Pears; Nathan Lwanga; Tamaki Fukaya; Tallulah Cass, Elle Peters and Ayodeji Famosaya.
Blindspot opens Thursday 15th October at the Bread & Roses Theatre. Many thanks to Deanna Arthur for answering our questions. Book your tickets here!
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