Review: He Ain’t Heavy at The Exchange, Twickenham

One night, one hour at Twickenham's newest venue, The Exchange—blink and this small touring collaboration by Oddly Moving and Turtle Key Arts could easily be missed. He Ain’t Heavy, however, is an extremely frank and moving piece of eclectic theatre that you should not overlook.

Grania Pickard, writer and performer, gives the ‘long answer’ why her younger brother, Sean, doesn’t attend social gatherings. She replays a series of vignettes from her life, beautifully directed by Jimmy Whiteaker, articulately detailing the challenges of caring for Sean who has severe learning difficulties, epilepsy and autism.

Through well-executed movement, puppetry and circus storytelling, brilliantly supported by fellow performer Sophie Postlethwaite, the warm relationships between Grania, her brother and other family members come sharply into view. It’s as though Sean is ever-present onstage.

It’s a two-hander that often feels like a larger cast due to clever interaction with the audience which, for the most part, doesn’t feel forced. The audience is helped to experience Sean’s speech—his ‘wittering'—first-hand through fast-paced interchange with the actors. This, along with the resulting exhaustion, is particularly poignant and enlightening.

The sparse set is dominated by a vast orange circus-rig-cum-swing which serves as a metaphor for Sean’s innumerable park visits chaperoned by his sister. Pickard performs mesmerising aerial aerobatics, elegantly choreographed by Charlotte Mooney, and holds the audience’s attention magnificently, at one point climbing effortlessly to nerve-racking heights.

The hard work required to look after Sean is unrelenting: the ability to cope with minutiae demanded by autism; the superhuman strength needed to cope with fits and violent tantrums…despite all this, the enduring love between the siblings is intensely palpable and there are light-hearted moments too, such as the witty references to useless support worker, Linda.

Grania does not regret sacrificing her childhood to care for a loved one with such complex needs. It was and, in fact, remains her version of normal family life—she just lays the story bare for other carers like her, and the less well-informed majority, to digest.

He Ain’t Heavy is a quietly told yet deeply powerful story about unconditional love. It’s a painfully beautiful, honest piece that grabs hold of the heart and refuses to let go.

Cocoa’s verdict: Do try to catch this highly original, insightful piece of physical theatre, which may bring a tear to your eye.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The next performance is at Lincoln Drill Hall, Lincoln, on 25 October 2018

Running time: 1hr (no interval)