When Chris Fonseca contracted meningitis at the age of two leaving him hearing impaired, he had no idea that deafness would open him up to a new world with limitless possibilities with many roadblocks. As a black, deaf man within society his experiences of life’s hardships are amplified. He is primarily seen as a black man first then deaf, this altered his life in both the hearing and deaf world. But this has not stopped Fonseca achieving his dreams. After a viral audition in 2019 for BBC’s Greatest Dancer and partnering with Stormzy and Rockstar Energy Drinks to translate 5 of Stormzy’s most famous tracks to BSL making Grime more accessible to a Deaf audience. Fonseca has gone on to be a dance artist, choreographer, theatre-maker, and teacher. He is a founder, innovator and creator further pushing the boundaries of Hip Hop, Street Dance styles and what it means to be deaf.
Follow the Signs is a great title for the show as it highlights a form of communication as well as guidance. Has there ever been a time whereby signs have impacted your life?
The title of the show was inspired by a hip-hop music video that Harry and I co-created—a 10-minute version of “Follow the Signs” back in 2020. We called it this because throughout my life I have experienced ‘signs’, whether this is sign language or signs that have guided me to where I am today. We took the brilliant feedback from the audience back in 2020 as a sign to get motivated to transform it into a theatrical version, diving deeper into thought-provoking, relatable topics through a wider lens.
Throughout the creative process, many signs impacted us, myself and Harry were born in the same year, in the same area of South East London. We both got meningitis as kids. I became Deaf, Harry didn’t. Our paths nearly crossed many times but we didn’t end up actually meeting until 2019. We believe it was meant to be. Since then, we’ve grown from strangers to best friends – the power of art has elevated us, shaping our shared mindset of work ethic, mission, and arts advocacy.
It is as though you and Harry were destine to meet to create this show, the back story of your lives heavily influenced the identity of the play. Identity seems like a recurring theme within the show. How has the way you see yourself changed since starting to help bridge the hearing and deaf world?
The theme of identity was vital to the show, discovering the journey that navigates the exploration of intersectionality and elements of identity. It unpacks the important impact that two deaf artists’ identities have on their personal life and careers as a Black Deaf man (Chris) and a mixed-race Deaf woman (Raffie) and how it affects their daily lives.
The narrative throughout the show aims to educate and bridge the gap between the hearing and Deaf worlds by breaking down barriers and challenging society’s most common misconceptions about Deaf people. It explores how to foster communication, allyship, and humanity.
Humanity is definitely felt when watching the show, both the deaf and hearing worlds came as one within the audience. This was a clear strength from the whole production, making the narrative a great platform to educate. As a teacher yourself, you mentioned that hip-hop heavily influenced the show and you. What have hip-hop and rap taught you?
Hip-hop has been a life-changer for me since my teenage years. It’s a genre that originally gave voice to communities, teaching me resilience and the art of storytelling through rhythm. From signrap to enabling self-expression and advocacy, throughout my art I overcome obstacles, break barriers, and challenge perceptions by embracing my identity and speaking my truth.
This was greatly left all out on the stage. With catchy bars and memorable hooks you and Harry seem to be a jack of all trades. How was the experience of writing, choreographing and producing the show?
It was an interesting experience as Harry and I discovered new tools in our collaborative writing process. We successfully merged three methods of communication: British Sign Language, spoken English, and rap lyrics. Harry blended the rhythm, and then we worked together to translate it back into British Sign Language and sign rap. This involved careful consideration of timing, musicality, and context. We’re grateful to Cherie Gordon and Deepa Shastri, our BSL consultants for the show, who brought the translations to life. It’s definitely a bit challenging to wear both hats as an actor and choreographer from the early stages in a theatrical format but I managed to balance navigating both roles throughout the creative process with the support from our team, including the director, cast, and creative team.
Sounds like a truly collaborative production, What do you want the audience to take away from watching the show?
We want the audience to leave with a deeper understanding and appreciation of Deaf culture, identity, and the medium of spectrum. In a hope to challenge preconceptions about deafness. For our Deaf audience members, we want them to feel seen, represented, and empowered. For hearing audience members, we aim to foster empathy, awareness, and a desire to be more inclusive. Ultimately, we want everyone to reflect on their own identities and the importance of embracing who they are, regardless of societal expectations or barriers.
That is deeply uplifting and ties in with the narrative of hope in the play. For anyone with a similar story or struggling to find somewhere they belong, what would you advise them?
My advice would be to embrace your unique identity and experiences. Remember that your differences are what make you special and valuable. Seek out communities and spaces where you feel accepted and understood, whether that’s through art, activism, or shared interests. Don’t be afraid to share your story – you never know who might relate to it or be inspired by it.
It’s also important to educate yourself and others about your experiences. Knowledge is power, and understanding your own identity and culture can be incredibly empowering. At the same time, be patient with yourself and others. Finding where you belong is a journey, and it’s okay if it takes time.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to create the space you want to see in the world. If you can’t find a community that fully represents you, consider starting one. Your voice and perspective are valuable, and by sharing them, you might help others who are on a similar [journey].
Follow the Signs is a currently on tour, details can be found below:
Venue: Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London, W1D 3ND
Dates: 24 September – 12 October 2024
Tickets: £20/£12, www.sohotheatre.com
X – @sohotheatre / Instagram – /sohotheatre
Venue: HOME Manchester, 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester, M15 4FN
Dates: 5 – 9 November 2024
Tickets: £15/£12, homemcr.org
X – @HOME_mcr / Instagram – /homemcr
www.facebook.com/HOMEmcr
All performances will be in BSL, Spoken English, Rap and English Captions.
This show includes scenes with bullying, racism and audism.