Deaf performer from Walsall to put on live show exploring deaf identities

The show is titled Forbidden Identity and features Billy Read, who became profoundly deaf at the age of three.

Growing up, he showed a keen interest in music and art, at age eleven Billy first tried out music, and played drums in the school band.

It wasn't until the age of 21 that Billy discovered his talent for dance.

Despite having no formal training, Billy utilised his self-taught skills to start down the path of becoming a dancer and an artist, forming his own deaf dance crew, and travelling the world networking with other professional deaf dancers.

The crew features Billy, Ariel, who is originally from Hong Kong, and Ben, from Wolverhampton.

Billy, 33, said: "We did a research and development project last year to explore the themes based in the show, including isolation, frustration and communication barriers that many deaf children go through with their own families due to their being the only deaf person in their family.

"We used real life stories based on my own childhood experiences as well as my brother’s.

"We also included speech therapy in our show, which has a very controversial history.

"The story is told through dance, theatre, and visual vernacular, which is a form of deaf visual poetry."

The show will be part of China Plate’s one-day Bite Size festival at Warwick Arts Centre on April 30.

Audiences will be treated to nine 20-minute extracts of fresh new work.

Session tickets cost £5.50 and a day pass costs £36.