Personal
Multimedia solo performance
It wasn’t until Jodee Mundy was five years old and lost at Kmart that she realised the rest of her family was Deaf. She didn’t see ‘disability’ – only the love and protection of those closest to her.
In Personal, she conveys her experience as the only hearing person in a Deaf family, through a captivating blend of performance, storytelling, multimedia and animation. Mundy delves into the contradictions of inhabiting two worlds: living in a Deaf family, where using sign language is natural; and living in a society that sees only the family’s disability with voyeuristic curiosity.
The role children of Deaf adults play in paving the way for their family – as interpreter, authority, conduit – is central to this very intimate story. Created with a talented team of collaborators and presented in two languages via a virtual interpreter, Personal is a smart, touching and deeply personal work exploring dis/ability and how we perceive one another.
Available for touring from August 2023- December 2024
Personal, aside from a triumphant piece of performance and live theatre, does something special; it bridges divides, it removes, within this context, “us” and “them”. Not often does theatre, despite the best of intentions, achieve such heights.
Melbourne Critique
Jodee Mundy’s Personal is a winning and inclusive tonic, consistently hilarious and informative.
Time Out
I’m alert to signs and symbols as I watch Mundy speak. Language moves through her body: as the signs inhabit her in rapid succession, she becomes a beacon. It's a remarkable thing to watch.
Witness
Luckily Personal doesn’t discriminate. Inviting deaf and hearing audiences alike. This is a notable and important example of where access is not part of the performance, access is the performance.
Arts Hub
Throughout Personal, Mundy shows us that her family is unique only because it traverses the line between two worlds; otherwise, it is like any other family – filled with laughter, frustration, anger, joy and love.
Theatre Press
This rewarding, compelling work brings deaf and hearing a little closer together both literally and through its delicate and sharp insights - crisply and clearly presented.
Stage Whispers
This is strong autobiographical theatre with a fascinating story, and ingenious visual and sound design that implicates the senses.
The Age
A searching, poignant and gently comic solo performance.
Sydney Morning Herald