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The Only Brown Deaf Man in England

Mercury Theatre - Colchester Show Dates: 14 Oct 2026-17 Oct 2026

A Mercury Original in association with Camden People’s Theatre and in collaboration with Fuse Theatre

Written by and starring Nadeem IslamDirected by Harry JardineMovement Direction and Choreography by Chris Fonseca

From 1970s Bangladesh to Brick Lane to the post-9/11 present, The Only Brown Deaf Man in England follows Rajkumar, a Deaf Bengali amateur batsman, as he navigates the chaos, comedy and contradictions of life in Britain – one ball at a time.

Fleeing genocide, dodging racists, losing loved ones, and somehow finding laughter in it all, Rajkumar plays each moment like a batsman at the crease – reading the spin, riding the bounce, and swinging when it counts. His story is funny, fierce, and deeply moving.

Told through a dynamic blend of British Sign Language and visual vernacular, the show transforms memory into vivid, cinematic storytelling – where whole worlds are built through the body, rhythm and imagination. It’s bold, inventive and visually striking, offering a rich theatrical experience for Deaf and hearing audiences alike. No prior knowledge of BSL is needed – the storytelling is immediate, intuitive, and universally felt.

Following its early sharing at Camden People’s Theatre, a three-week development at National Theatre Studios and a sold-out work-in-progress at Pleasance Theatre, the full production is finally here!

Accessibility and Content to Consider

This age guidance for this show is 14+. Please note, this show contains themes of war, racism, violence, migration and loss.

All performances are in BSL with spoken English voiceover and English captions.

Studio Event

Location:

Performances