TIDES is Coming to the Hope Theatre in London in April

Tides, a brand-new theatre production that tackles the subject of autism will be coming to The Hope Theatre in London at the tail end of Autism Acceptance Week. A semi-autobiographical performance based on real experiences of growing up on the autism spectrum, this one-person show provides an insight into the world of at least one person's experience with autism and the turbulence that they have faced.

Tides follows the life of Dylan Ward, an autistic individual, from his birth to his young adulthood and chronicles his attempts to fit in with social norms and the challenges that he constantly faces with this. As well as showcasing the continuous misunderstandings Dylan makes and the effect it has on other people, Tides also demonstrates how other people's reactions in turn have on him. It asks the audience the ever-important question of why can we not treat everyone the same? Regardless of how they may come across, they are all just people at the end of the day.

The writer and performer, Joe Dennis is an autistic actor making his professional writing debut with this brand-new show. He began developing the idea during his final couple of months at Guildford School of Acting, with which he has recently graduated.

Joe elaborates, "I wanted to share my own personal experiences of growing up autistic, in the hopes of pulling back the curtain for folks who might not understand what life is like to live on the spectrum. To offer an insight into that world from at least one autistic person's perspective. But as well as that, I wanted to try and inspire hope for anyone who are on the spectrum and who struggle with finding their feet in a world that seems completely alien. To help them realise that they're not alone, and that if you keep persevering, it will absolutely be worth it in the end".

Tides will be directed by Will Sutherland in his professional directorial debut. He says he was "honoured" to be asked to direct this show. "It's a wonderfully charming script, and a deeply personal story for Joe" says Will. "I feel blessed to be trusted with it. Joe and I both studied together at Guildford, so I've seen first-hand the effort he's put into his projects, and this may be his greatest and most personal one yet. His creativity, his passion, his sincerity, and, of course, all his funny bones will be on full display in this production, and we can't wait to share it with you.

Joe explains that while the show does go to some very heavy places, it's also bursting with 'Pythonesque' humour and touches on the importance of being unique. "It was important to me that Tides is not all doom and gloom", says Joe. "There is a huge amount of fun to be had in acknowledging your past mistakes and being able to laugh at them if you can. I think that's an important part of growing up and learning. Plus, the piece can go to some very dark places and the humour helps to lift audiences out of those dark places. I was also very keen to show the positives that come with being autistic, not just the negatives".

Tides will be launched at The Hope Theatre on the 7th & 8th April, 7:45pm both nights, at the end of Autism Acceptance Week to help show support for the Autistic Community and raise more awareness about Autism. Following its initial launch, it will be performing in Brighton, Salford & another London performance as part of Camden Fringe.

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