A young woman affected by Asperger’s syndrome will be the focus of c21’s production ‘It Only Takes a Minute’, which is touring Northern Ireland.
The show has embarked on a 13-date tour, concluding in The Mac Theatre in Belfast from Wednesday 7th to Saturday 10th November with closing night taking place on Friday 16th November.
The punchy and fast paced one-woman show is performed by the extremely talented disabled actress, Anna Kyle from East Belfast, who takes the lead as Michelle, a 26-year-old woman with Asperger’s syndrome.
Following her diagnosis, the play takes you on Michelle’s rollercoaster journey through life, presenting a series of flashbacks as she relives a number of key moments in her teenage years, growing up in the 1990’s.
Soundtracked by the music and lyrics of Take That, Michelle looks to the famous boy band as her confidants, mentors and best friends in the solace of her bedroom. However, soon becoming an obsession, we see the effects of Michelle’s diagnosis come to light, as she begins to take the lyrics all too literally.
A culmination of events leads Michelle to breaking point and a meltdown forces her to face up to the reality of her life, learning the truth about herself and the world around her.
The play is co-written by leading lady Anna Kyle, alongside co-writer and director, Tom Rowntree-Finlay from Newtownabbey.
Creative Director of c21 Theatre Company, Stephen Kelly said, theatre is a way of communicating the harsh realities of real life in a fun and honest way and this show is the perfect example of that.
“It creates an understanding in the public eye as to what a person goes through during their life and provides comic relief during times of sincere emotion,” she added.
The production is a mix of excitement, uncertainty and sometimes an all too real overload of emotion, casting a light on the increasing number of females with undiagnosed Asperger’s and their struggle living in a neurotypical society.
Co-writer and director, Tom Rowntree-Finlay said they have worked hard for a long time to portray an honest experience of someone who has been diagnosed with Asperger’s.
“I would like to thank Anna for bringing our words to life in a beautiful way, her performance is effortless and allows you to connect in a very real way to Michelle’s struggle,” he added.
The production is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland through National Lottery Funding.
Gilly Campbell, Arts Development Officer for Drama and Dance, Arts Council of Northern Ireland said they are proud to support another production by c21 Theatre Company.
“c21 has a fantastic reputation in providing a platform for challenging subjects which are often ignored in the public eye. This is an important piece of theatre and I would encourage you all to go and see it,” she added.
‘It Only Takes a Minute’ is also proudly sponsored by Doyle Shipping Group and Halifax Foundation NI.
Performances take place until Friday 16th November. Tickets are available online via each theatre’s website, for more information on where to buy tickets visit, c21theatrecompany.com. Make sure to like c21 Theatre Company on Facebook and follow on Instagram and Twitter for exclusive updates and show information.
Dates:
Sat 20th Oct – Waterside Theatre Derry-Londonderry.
Tue 6th Nov -Roe Valley Arts Centre, Limavady
Wed 7th – Sat 10th Nov – The Mac Belfast
Thu 8th and Fri 9th Nov – The Mac, Belfast (matinee performances)
Fri 16th Nov – The Alley Theatre, Strabane.