Ellen Leslie
Unheard Voices, Unbroken Spirits is a new musical that brings the reality of the care system onto the stage. It follows a group of friends, who are all in care, and explores some of the issues they face, from mental illnesses, to alcohol abuse and school problems. Written, performed and produced by a talented group of young people who are care-experienced, it is a powerful and insightful show.
The show highlights how care-experienced young people feel about the system. They are treated as case numbers and labels, and not seen as people. This is best demonstrated through the girls’ treatment at school. Daisy is chastised for her grades, and the teachers believe that she uses being in care as an excuse, despite her social worker explaining that she isn’t sleeping properly. Sienna also gets detention for being late, even though it is not her fault. It is the sad reality for many care-experienced children, whose education is impacted by the burden of their home life. It is a production that all professionals working with children should watch, to better understand what they go through and how they can support them.
Although Sienna complains about her foster carers, we can see that they are compassionate about her situation. Sienna’s foster sister Lara tries to cheer her up by giving her flowers, only for Sienna to freak out and shout that she’s not her sister. Lara’s disappointment is palpable, but it is touching to see Sienna’s foster carers react with empathy, explaining to Lara through song that the weight of Sienna’s trauma is so heavy it’s impossible for them to understand. This song is sung beautifully by all three cast members, and it is one of the best parts of the show.
The cast and creative team are young, and their lack of experience is obvious at times. The script’s pacing is off and some issues would benefit from being expanded: there could be more about Daisy’s mental health, for example. The cast seemed quite nervous at the start, but this faded as the production continued, and by the time they reached the closing number, each performer was confidently dancing and belting the lyrics out. Their sheer talent and potential is clear, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them gracing the West End stages in the future.
There seemed to be an issue with some of the performer’s microphones. It was often hard to make out lyrics and dialogue, which was not the case for the performers with no microphone. The start of Daisy’s part in the final song was not picked up, which unfortunately lessened the impact that the song could have had.
It’s not a perfectly polished show, but the issues raised in Unheard Voices, Unbroken Spirits are so important, and theatre is the perfect medium to share these with the public. With lots of heart, this show has the potential to reduce stigma, and improve life for care-experienced children. It has lots of heart and certainly deserves a life outside of the Fringe.
Recommended Drink: Something wholesome, like hot chocolate with lots of whipped cream.
You can catch Unheard Voices, Unbroken Spiritsat Big Yin at Gilded Balloon Patter House until August 31st at 15:30 (60mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Isobel Jacob
Hannah Hamilton
Lola Rose Wood
