Braille

The Braille Legacy at Charing Cross Theatre

CULTURETHEATRE

25^TH APRIL 2017

TARN RODGERS JOHNS

This uplifting musical tells the true story of Louis Braille, the renowned inventor of the braille system. First staged in French, this translation is supported by the RNIB. 

Set in 19^th-century France, where blind people are socially isolated and outcast, Louis Braille (Jack Wolfe) is a bright boy studying at the Royal Institute for Blind Youth. Here, visually impaired children are educated in history, geography, science, music and mathematics despite a flawed reading system that many find difficult to understand. Convinced of the transformative power that the written word can have for blind people, Louis becomes intent on inventing a better way.

This musical does not go over the top with visual aids, the set is a simple rotating staircase structure and the cast are dressed in plain black or white. Blindness is indicated through use of a blindfold. The script and lyrics emphasise the capacity the written word has to bring light and colour to unsighted people’s lives, and to hammer the point home the children’s blindfolds are removed when they are reading braille. The cast of young actors are hard to fault – notably Jack Wolfe in the leading role and Tallulah Byrne as Catherine Lepage give incredibly polished performances.

Many will be unaware of the resistance that the braille system faced as it was considered dangerous to give people without sigh