Dawn Jani Birley reinvents the iconic Lady Macbeth in the deaf-led Lady M (Margaret)

Ramesh Meyyappan’s Lady M (Margaret) is an innovative adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, which is sure to fascinate viewers at the SummerWorks Performance Festival. The performance explores Lady M’s tumultuous journey through grief following the loss of a child. We’re in Scotland during World War One, and after fighting on the frontlines, Macbeth has returned home to his wife. Having left one battlefield behind, he finds himself entangled in a second fierce war within the confines of his own home. Rather than limiting itself to one point of view, the audience experiences this journey through a kaleidoscope of perspectives. The reasons behind each decision by each character are teased out and brought to the forefront, fostering a deeper understanding of the human experience and the intricacies that drive us all.

What most separates this performance from other Shakespeare adaptations is that it is deaf-led. There is little dialogue, either spoken or signed, during the entire production. Combining the talents of both deaf and hearing actors, Meyyappan explores Lady M’s journey through a visual language of movement that goes beyond the conventional blocking of performers and explores the reasons, both symbolic and literal, for each character’s placement and presence on stage. 

Dawn Jani Birley, who plays Lady M, identifies as culturally and linguistically Deaf. In her performance, she relies on the physicality of facial expression and body movement to convey the emotion of her character. During our conversation, she describes emotion as the truly universal human language. “I think it speaks volumes when we can convey emotion through physicality. Do we really need words to put on this emotional experience, or can we just show it?”. She hopes to create an intense connection with the audience, through which she can convey her character’s raw vulnerability purely viscerally. 

This deliberate choice was made to accommodate the deaf community, which struggles to access traditional theatre due to its dependence on spoken dialogue. Meyyappan aims to offer a unique and inclusive theatrical experience that opens the doors of the dramatic arts to more diverse audiences, but he does not want viewers to be concerned with which performer is deaf and which is hearing. Instead, he encourages audience members simply to embrace the characters as they appear on stage. His vision champions the idea that – in theatre and through theatre – we have the opportunity to see beyond the differences that may divide us, and embrace our shared experiences.

This contrasts with inauthentic deaf stories in the media, which are too often presented solely from a hearing person’s perspective. Birley views the deaf characters she watches on television as “tragic stories of pity”, which don’t include the “richness of our culture and our language”. And, she explains, many directors are unaware of the distinction between an inclusive and an intersectional perspective. Where an inclusive perspective often views her deafness as an issue or challenge to be addressed, an intersectional perspective empowers her to embrace fully her language, culture, and identity. And not only does intersectional direction acknowledge each performer’s unique background – it actively celebrates them. 

In fact, Birley founded 1s1 Theatre to create intersectional performances which challenge misconceptions surrounding the deaf community. She explains that the “number one challenge that we face is audism” or discrimination against those who are deaf. Since most people are not even familiar with the term, educating the public about audism begins simply with bringing deaf voices to the table. Birley is a firm believer in using the performing arts to share deaf experiences, and she aspires to amplify these voices to a global audience through 1s1 Theatre – with the ultimate goal of building a world where social change is not a distant dream, but a vibrant reality. She believes that collaboration between deaf and hearing artists in creating a performance is a  beautiful process and a living testament to the idea that, when diverse voices come together, they have the potential to create something extraordinary that can touch the hearts of audience members. 

Pulling back from her ultimate ambition, Birley hopes in the near term that Lady M (Margaret) will be an inspiration for budding Canadian deaf artists. While Europe boasts a growing number of deaf artists, the landscape is different in Canada. In fact, there were so few domestic opportunities that Birley herself had to leave the country to gain professional experience. “In Canada,” she explains, “I don’t see myself on stage. We need to change that!”.

In a world filled with noise, Lady M (Margaret) is a potent and deaf-led proof of the expressive power of non-verbal communication. The team behind the production hopes that the audience listens with not just their ears, but also their hearts. 

Don’t miss the chance to see Dawn Jani Birley’s performance in Lady M (Margaret), a 1s1 Production, co-produced by Why Not Theatre, at Toronto’s SummerWorks Performance Festival. To reserve tickets, visit summerworks.ca.

© Denise Albeanu, Sesayarts Magazine, 2023