DEAF REPUBLIC

In occupied Vasenka, public gatherings are forbidden. Soldiers descend on a crowd watching a puppet show in the public square. A young deaf boy enraptured by the show does not respond to the order to disperse—he is killed. The next day, the town is deaf. The gunshot is the last sound acknowledged. In this critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Ukrainian poet Ilya Kaminsky’s epic book of war poems, silence sings its own song of resistance.

What if the injustices you witnessed impacted the shape of your reality, not just your emotions? Told by a deaf and hearing ensemble using a mix of sign language, spoken English, creative captions, projected live cinema and puppetry, Deaf Republic is a moving, innovative work that condemns those who stay quiet in the face of injustice while also demonstrating the power in collective solidarity. 

Meta-theatre provocateurs Dead Centre and sign language poet Zoë McWhinney majestically bring to life Kaminsky’s dark parable, rooted in his experience as a deaf Jewish refugee whose family sought asylum in the US. Named one of The Stage’s top shows of 2025, this tale of war, language, loss, and family is both timeless and urgently contemporary with a potent reminder at its core: when villains speak, you don't have to listen.   

Deaf Republic is performed through a mix of AUSLAN, spoken English, and moments of creative captioning in written English. The 8pm Friday 15 January showing will be completely captioned – all other shows are not fully captioned.