Blindsided Review: An eye-opening Student Play on the realities of sight loss

Grace Marsh stars in a self-written and directed play based on her own personal experiences, taking us on a journey many don't have.

The promotional poster of Blindsided (Credit: @blindsidedbygracemarsh on Instagram)

The play encompasses 40 minutes of quick-witted teenage humour as well wonderfully raw moments showcasing the struggles Jasmine is going through all wrapped up in clever lighting and set design considering the fact this show has a limited budget being a student production. All elements come together to create a well-paced, informative and overall heartwarming performance which left me speechless as I left the theatre.

Synopsis of Blindsided

At the start of the play, we meet a 15-year-old high school student Jasmine (played by Marsh) just after the school holidays and beginning her GCSEs, however, over the summer she has lost her sight leading to challenges as she adjusts her way of life which worries her Mum Suzy (played by Grace Hale). At school, we overhear the characters aptly called B*tch 1 and B*tch 2 (played by Hope Sandhu and Ry Wood respectively) question Jasmine's experience of sight loss suggesting she is faking it for attention which irritates Jasmine who overhears the exchange. She confides in her friend Molly about this encounter, and with Molly "saying the wrong thing" the besties fall out leaving Jasmine on her own. Throughout these scenes, we cut to Jasmine with her teacher, Jan (played by Bree Colclough) which provides a pleasant respite of comedic flair whilst also continuing the story. As Jasmine's 16th birthday party fast approaches, she worries about the lack of RSVPs although she hides her worry from her also worried Mum. On the day of her birthday party, no one shows leaving Jasmine alone dressed in her birthday sash and sparkly outfit. Luckily, Molly arrives (after being invited by Jasmine's mum) and the two make up, both acknowledging their mistakes and understanding that things are more difficult and unknown than ever before in their friendship. Suzy and her daughter also apologise to each other with Jasmine promising to try the counselling recommended by Jan. The play ends with a heartwarming display of human connection as Jasmine is held by her mum on the left and her best friend on her right.

Review

The story itself is easy to follow which is perfect for its 40-minute run time. While I do wish we saw a longer, more intensive showcase of Jasmine's life and personal struggles, I feel that the story was perfect to present what it needed to and did not suffer from the drawn-out melancholy that some other shows feature. The dialogue of all characters is well written and acted with the choices in language and articulation both being what I'd expect for each character. Alongside this, I felt that all actors were not only comfortable with the material but also embraced it and performed it as if it was their story to tell.

Blindsided's use of lighting, or on some occasions lack thereof, was a creatively excellent choice. The harsh lighting when Jasmine can't sleep is perfectly contrasted at the end with the soft warm projected on the central trio. Blackouts are also used several times to represent 'blindness' with only Jasmine's voice being heard placing us as the audience in the shoes of the protagonist and allowing us to experience just a little of what she might experience day-to-day. The set, whilst minimalist, provides utility and allows for a wide range of environments to be created without long-winded set changes.

It is clear that a great number of creatives helped make this show possible when looking at its quality in all aspects. Details were clearly thought about and included to make this show special and more impactful. Blindsided has changed the way I think about how people experience sight loss and has exposed the reality that many partially or fully blind people have experienced or are experiencing. Jasmine performs multiple monologues throughout the play showcasing her internal thoughts and how she perceives the situations happening to her. These felt almost heart-wrenchingly real, with Marsh bringing us into the head of Jasmine in a way which felt personal and raw. This play is a clear work of Grace Marsh with her personal experiences curating and shaping the script, direction and set in a way which could not have been done by a fully sighted person. Blindsided is unapologetic of its source material with Marsh herself saying the story is based on her own experiences with sight loss making it such a deep-cutting, realistic and authentic show.

Final Words

Blindsided by Grace Marsh is an excellent display of student theatre with both an emotionally intelligent storyline, wonderfully creative production and direction details and a perfect cast and crew to bring the whole thing together. I sincerely hope that we see a second production of Blindsided as I feel that this is both an important topic which isn't talked about much in both theatre and also wider society as well as feeling it would be a waste of a wonderful script to not see it re-emerge. I think that this would be a perfect play for limited runs at smaller venues around Yorkshire or as a tour around local high schools in order to teach young people about the experiences of sight loss.

Editor's note: Blindsided was dedicated in memory of Beth, a personal and beloved friend of Grace Marsh. On the program handed out at the venue a link to EDS UK was included if you would like to make a donation in Beth's name. Click here if you are interested in making a donation or want to learn more about EDS UK.