I’m Autistic – A New Musical 262 words, 1 minute read time.
What’s it like to live with autism? It’s so misunderstood by so many neurotypical people – and even a few autistic people themselves. With a dollop of good humour, pathos, and to-the-point songs, we meet three young people who are having a tough time with love, loss, parental relationships and their mental health. There’s Chloë, the ‘weird girl’ subjected to bullying in school whose best friend Liv is distancing herself from her to fit in with the nasty bullying ‘cool girls.’ There’s Nat, the boy who is awkward with girls as he doesn’t know to read the signals., There’s Lauren, the ace student who as part of a research project begins to realise that she is also autistic, but struggles for a formal diagnosis.
This musical pulls no punches. Officious medical procedures to diagnose autism, the confusion and helplessness of parents who want the best for their children but don’t know what to do, what to say, or where to turn, and well-meaning friends who make things worse all come under scrutiny.
Anyone living with autism or living with someone with autism will recognise one or more of the situations faced by the characters. In their own quirky and entertaining way, the young cast raise the issues that affect so many people and scotch a few myths along the way. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll be entertained. But you’ll also learn a bit more about this often-misunderstood condition. It’s a perfect antidote to Rain Man.
Reviewed by David Kerr
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