A Small Piece of Silence is a radio play by Katie Hims, written especially for actor David Bower. It was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 09 April 2010, as an installment of the Afternoon Play[1].
Producer Susan Roberts suggested writing a contemporary play for Bower, who is deaf.
Plot[]
Joe who has been Deaf since he was born , works in an ordinary council office . Every day he makes the same journey to work on the bus, seeing the same people . Then one day a young girl signs her name to him. A_N_G_E_L.
Joe has been working in the council's housing office for 17 years. Apart from one small promotion he has remained in the same job surrounded by the same people . Vernon has been there for the same amount of time. He eats Joe's food and talks too fast in the pub ..but Joe goes along with it.
Into their world comes new office recruit Shelly who begins to fall for Joe. Until Joe realises that she is having a relationship with Richard Humble , the leader of the council
At the end of Shelly's first week there is a huge fire in a nearby block of flats. Joe learns that Angel was one of the people who has died.
And so Joe's life is changed forever as he embarks on a quest, turning detective to find out what has happened.
A Small Piece of Silence is a love story, detective story but, using sound, it attempts to give us a picture of the world of someone who can't hear. It examines the issues around how society deals with Deafness through the character of Joe.
Cast[]
- Joe ..... David Bower
- Shelly ..... Maxine Peake
- Vernon ..... Ralph Ineson
- Brigitta ..... Deborah McAndrew
- Marion ..... Ruth Alexander-Rubin
- Richard/ Bus Driver ..... Terence Mann
- Music composed and performed by Liran Donin
- Artistic consultant - Isolte Avila
- Directed in Manchester by Susan Roberts
Developed in partnership with Signdance Collective.