Description
joey
sean burn
• Publishing to coincide with a regional tour
• Deals with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
• Performed with BSL interpretation
joey is a high octane monologue about multiple possibilities for survival, they’ve travelled far and
wide, joeys travelling still.
‘The similarities to now are searing. The UK has a hard-right government. There are savage cuts in
welfare and wages against a backdrop of race hate, riots, hunger strikes and ‘punk’
– the voiceless youths’ call to arms to resist suppression. Joey is the story of three teenagers growing up in care.
Towards the end of their childhood, disabled author Joey Deacon goes on BBC TV’s Blue Peter and
overnight ‘joey’ becomes a term of abuse in schoolyards across the country.’ – Disability Arts Online
About the author
Sean Burn is a Jessie Kesson literary fellow – Moniack Mhor, Scotland’s writing centre 2016. Part of
Graeae’s first year of ‘Write to play’ scheme developing disabled / deaf writers, including a
placement at the Royal Court Theatre and mentoring from Selma Dimitrijevic. Third full-length
collection of poetry – is that a bruise or a tattoo now available.
Previous full-length plays include cutter (Half Moon Theatre [Time Out’s Play of the Year for Young
People]), ghost-tag (Edinburgh Fringe), sweet (CTC), taking the blood of butterflies (Oval House
Theatre), voices (Pegasus Youth Theatre), & next swan down the river might be black (gobscure
national tour, published by Aurora Metro).
Last full-length play collector of tears toured nationally by gobscure, was north-east play of the
year (British Theatre Guide), and was published by Aurora Metro.
Reviews
‘It’s an epic, rebellious rollercoaster of a story that takes us out on the town squealing John
Peel banshee, howling under every star.’ – Disability Arts Online