Barrier(s)
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it’s ending is powerful beyond words”
★★★★★ – RoeReviewsTheatre”
Love has no single language.
Alana and Katie come from different worlds. One is hearing, one is deaf. Together, they navigate the joys and struggles of love, communication and survival in a world that keeps putting up barriers. When the world tries to silence you, how can you hold on to love?
Eloise Pennycott’s Barrier(s) is a powerful and intimate love story, full of warmth, humour and the fight to be understood. Deafinitely Theatre makes a welcome return to The Door following the acclaimed co-production of The Promise in 2024 and will showcase the company’s distinctive visual style, seamlessly blending British Sign Language and English.
Critically acclaimed for its honesty and gripping storytelling, Barrier(s) is a theatrical experience that speaks volumes – even without words.
A moving and subtly radical piece of theatre, filled with warmth and humour.”
★★★★ – West End Best Friend
Venue
Presented by
Deafinitely Theatre, Birmingham Rep, Camden People’s Theatre and Leeds Playhouse
Written by
Eloise Pennycott
Directed by
Paula Garfield
Price
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Access Performances
BSL & Captioning: All performances are accessible for British Sign Language users, with BSL and captions integrated into the production.
Post-Show Discussion
Join us after the 7pm performance of Barrier(s) on Thu 23 Oct for a special post-show Q&A talk hosted by Deafinitely Theatre’s Artistic Director, Paula Garfield MBE.
The panel will feature special guests sharing personal reflections connected to the themes of the show and as well as answering all your questions!
This 20 minute Q&A session will have BSL and English interpretation available.
Age Guidance
16+
Please note, no under 5s will be admitted to the auditorium.
Running Time
Approximately 2 hours 5 minutes including an interval.
Content Advice
This show contains; use of strong language, themes of pregnancy and pregnancy loss, themes of hearing loss discrimination (audism), projected images and loud noises.
View the full content warning and self-care guide.
No Photography or Filming allowed
To avoid spoilers, please don’t share photos of the performance. We want the production to be a surprise for everyone and something to be experienced fully in the moment.
Production Photography by Becky Bailey
Cast
Zoë McWhinney
Zoë is a graduate of “Visual Theatre in French Sign Language” by École de Théâtre Universelle in 2020. This is her third time working on a Deafinitely Theatre production after her previous roles as Aislin/ David in 2022 Everyday tour and Can Bears Ski (2024 theatrical adaptation).
She also acted as Charmaine in the Globe’s 2014 production of Antony and Cleopartia. Another appearances at the Globe includes A Night In Sign at Sam Wanamaker theatre. She worked on Julius Caesar as a co-director (2023).
Other theatre credits include: Raymond Antrobus’ Can Bears Ski (2024 theatrical adaptation), Margie in Lilies On The Land (2022); title role in Polka Theatre’s adaptation of Red Riding Hood, Red (Polka theatre, 2020), Princess Rose in CAST theatre’s Sleeping Beauty pantomime (December 2022), Iconoclast at Stanley Arts with Zoo&Co (2022), 48% in Torshovteatret, Norway (2020), Fisherman’s Friend at the MAC, Belfast (March 2024) and the LA Philharmonic production of Fidelio with Deaf West at the Barbican Centre (June 2024), .
Screen credits include: lead role of Loane in the award-winning short film Le Chéri Parfait (Illumination Studios 2020) and as Liz in the BSLZone’s hit Deaf sitcom Small World.
Alongside theatre, as a BSL poet, Visual Vernacular performer and writer, she also is runner up BSL poet laureate for 2023-2024 and again for 2025-2026, nominated for Forward poetry prize in Performance category for her “the portrait and the skylight” and consulted for the RSC on BSL. She wrote for Dead Centre’s stage adaption of Ilya Kaminsky’s Deaf Republic shown at the Royal Court and Dublin Theatre Festival.
Em Prendergast
Em trained at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. They often work in a mixture of British Sign Language and Spoken English. They recently toured with Leeds Playhouse and Stratford East’s Olivier Award-nominated Animal Farm. Alongside this, they participated in the 2025 Soho Writers lab, developing a lesbian adaptation of Yerma.
Recent theatre credits include: Animal Farm (Leeds Playhouse), Cinderella in Cinderella (Queens Theatre, Hornchurch), The Odyssey (National Theatre), A Christmas Carol (Hull Truck), Witchfinder’s Sister (Queens Theatre, Hornchurch), Night Shift and Messy (ZooCo Theatre Company).
TV credits include: BBC Doctors, and Eastender.
Audio credits include: Doctor Who, and Time of The Week S1 and S2.
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