Does the way you see someone change how you see their story? Does the way you hear someone change whether you are even willing to hear the story at all? HYPER presents a confronting look at trans identity through the lens of hyper pop.
An authentic trans story being told with artistry and audacity
Saoirse and Connell, our two central characters, are returning to the live gigging scene after a hiatus during which Saoirse transitioned. Although it is set in a gay bar, not everything is plain sailing and not everyone is as accepting as you would hope. When LGBTQ spaces fail to be inclusive for one part of the community, are they really safe spaces at all?
HYPER was shortlisted for this year's Popcorn Writing Award and it's easy to see why. Ois O’Donoghue is the writer of the piece and fills it to the brim with provocative dialogue and rich character relationships. O’Donoghue is also the director of the piece and fills it to the brim with powerful visual metaphors within physical movement sections and audience interaction intended to unsettle and raise questions. O’Donoghue is also an actor in this piece and fills her role with guttural emotion, giving a sophisticated and disarming performance - what I’m trying to say here is that Ois O'Donoghue really is that girl. She appears as one version of Saorise trapped behind a curtain for the majority of the performances, sometimes breathing, sometimes narrating and sometimes sharing the dialogue with the other Saoirse who is on stage - in front of the curtain. Much of her curtained dialogue is performed using a vocoder, an ever present vocal modulation within the world of hyper pop. Either side of her are two DJs, together the three of them provide an electrifying backing track to the production which builds the excitement and tension throughout, making the club the play is set in feel completely immersive.
Within the context of the often dizzyingly high levels of moral panic and transphobia whipped up by sections of the media and wider population, it is wonderful to see an authentic trans story being told with artistry and audacity. This is important, urgent theatre that deserves your attention.
