EDITORIAL: Pray For Me – A BSL Triumph

Pray For Me, written and performed by Sarah Adedeji is a powerful new British Sign Language work-in-progress production exploring faith, Deafness and identity. Here, a Black Deaf woman confronts the impossibility of a cure, her belief system and her sense of belonging through poetry and movement with live music by ISRA3L.

The production is modern whilst also carrying a historical weight behind it. Pray For Me explores how Deaf people have not previously been accepted within the church. Even today, Deaf people are still having to face discrimination within their religious communities, being prayed for in the hope of restoring their hearing.

The story itself is fascinating, alongside music by ISRA3L which guides us through the piece beautifully providing gospel tones throughout. Adedeji is an incredible performer and the combination of BSL, speech, visual vernacular and dance produce a wonderfully rounded narrative. Pray For Me reflects Adedeji’s journey as a Deaf woman in the church from her childhood to now, as she fully claims her identity, knowing she does not need to be ‘cured’.

This is still a WIP show, and has concluded its Fringe run so I am excited to see what becomes of this production.

Performances of Pray For Me have now concluded at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026.