Venue: Seymour Centre, Reginald Theatre (Chippendale NSW), Apr 9 – 16, 2025
Creators: Kayah and Maitreyah Guenther, Kate Harman, Gavin Webber
Directors: Kate Harman, Gavin Webber
Cast: Kayah and Maitreyah Guenther
Images by Kate Holmes
Theatre review
There is an enviable closeness to Kayah and Maitreyah, a pair of siblings who seem to connect at the deepest levels, and in Glass Child, we see that it makes perfect sense that they should work together on a piece of theatre. Kayah lives with down syndrome, and through his partnership with Maitreyah, is able to bring expression to a form of experience that is rarely explored in our performing arts.
Kayah is always depicted as an autonomous individual, and there is no denying the immense value, of witnessing the representation of a person living with a disability, from one so determined and unambiguous about how he wishes to be perceived. Maitreyah is on hand for the entirety to ensure that her brother has everything he needs, to make every statement he desires.
The dynamic duo is directed by Kate Harman and Gavin Webber, who deliver a considerable amount of entertainment, along with many moments of epiphanies. For those of us who are ignorant of the challenges faced by those disadvantaged by an ableist world, Glass Child is especially meaningful.
Music and sounds by Anna Whittaker are a noteworthy feature of the production, highly evocative with their often pulsative rhythms, in a staging that communicates more effectively with percussive beats than with words. Lights by Chloe Ogilvie offer heightened drama at key moments, adding visual texture to an uncomplicated space.
Kayah reveals both dark and light aspects of his personality, in Glass Child. Those who feel misunderstood, tend to be overly cheerful with our public persona, always wishing to present an approachable image. This opportunity to see a person with down syndrome at his most joyous and most anguished, is in some ways a demystification; a wonderful invitation to a somewhat unusual perspective of life.
Suzy Goes See 