Louder Is Not Always Clearer

About

'An autobiographical journey of a deaf person trapped in a hearing world'

Meet Jonny: teacher, freelance facilitator, workshop leader, and an avid football fan. He's just become a father, he is a campaigner and an artist. His friends say that he's outgoing and popular and that he loves music, festivals and nightclubs. Jonny is deaf. He was born deaf to hearing parents who were afraid that disability would stigmatise their son and the family. Deaf was a term not used in the Cotsen household. Jonny underwent ardent speech therapy and learnt to lip read. He did not identify himself as 'deaf' until much later in life. From an early age he felt disconnected from his disability but also disconnected from the world around him.

'Louder Is Not Always Clearer' focuses on the importance of connection with others and the struggle to do so affectively. This one-man show is an honest portrayal of the vulnerability of a man perceived to be full of confidence and outwardly social. In a hearing world Jonny is different and Louder Is Not Always Clearer is a bold expose that highlights those differences. For a hearing audience it is an illuminating and emotional experience. For deaf audience members the show is a familiar tale of misunderstanding and isolation. For all audiences it is a humorous and at times moving story of one man's attempt to cope, to fit in and be accepted.