Josephine Balfour Oatts interviews Mighty Pen Theatre about their new show, Living With a Dark Lord which delves into living with an autistic brother.

“I think we’ve always been telling this story.” Cait O’Sullivan muses. Her sister Maeve nods, “for years it was kind of brewing. The seed was planted about three or four years ago.” When the pair became part of Mighty Pen Theatre with their third sister Aisling and were awarded a residency at the Blue Elephant in Camberwell, they decided to chronicle the nuances of their elder brother Shaun, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. Now, the siblings are approaching a two-night run at the Drayton Arms, as well as a stretch at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival later this month.

Currently 29, Shaun prefers to be known as ‘The Dark Lord’. “He sounds like a wizard” says Cait, “like Saruman mixed with a dash of Alan Rickman, with a spoonful of Ian Holm.” Maeve counters, “or Frollo from the Hunchback of Notre-Dame”. Born in Ireland, and subsequently moving to America and then England, Shaun had developed a colourful accent. He was teased for this, which resulted in a vow of silence, an oath that he remained loyal to for 12 years. When Shaun was finally able to find the confidence to speak again, he did so with a grand British accent. “It is very slow and measured” says Maeve in mock imitation, “Pray Maeve, may you give me a ride in your carriage to the market of Asda?” He also refuses to use colloquialisms: Hello becomes ‘Hail’, Goodbye translates to ‘Farewell’, and most of his sentences will start with ‘Lo!’

Autism affects around 700,000 people in the UK alone, and is a lifelong developmental disability that influences how those diagnosed with the condition perceive the world and manage relationships with others. In Shaun’s case, his way of understanding his environment is through using himself as a contextual vehicle.

According to his sisters, Shaun understands the way he sounds, as well as the lineage of humour behind the cadence of the English upper classes. Through this, his family are now able to recognise his appetite for laughter, as in the past he would have hidden his face when overcome with amusement. This could lead to outbursts of frustration, which he remedied by wearing a shroud so that no one could see his mouth. “Now he loves to laugh” Maeve sighs, so long as the antics are on his terms.

The play is set over the course of an evening – Shaun’s 30th birthday party – and together, the sisters map out the geography of their past and fret over the future. Exploring both the darkness and the light within the Autistic Spectrum, Living with a Dark Lord identifies with Shaun’s current state of playfulness, and juxtaposes this with the challenges of growing up in the same household as him. “In the past few years he has clung to the Rules of Conversation”, Maeve explains, “If anybody talks over him, he will hiss at you”. This means that the entire family are constantly orbiting a complex social environment, and have to maintain Shaun’s expectations by guiding him in a language that he is able to understand.

The detachment present within their brother-sister relationship is something both Maeve and Cait struggle with. Moving away from home at the ages of 18 brought with it a sense of relief, but also an appreciation of Shaun’s idiosyncrasies. “As a child, it was difficult not to be scared” says Cait. At 6ft tall and previously on medication which had affected his weight, Shaun was a big presence. “Our parents feel a little bit vulnerable about the production” Cait continues, “they are really not the type to delve into deep conversation”. Maeve nods, “They live it more than any of us, but their story is very different from ours and we have tried to be sensitive about that”.

It is the first time that the sisters have worked together on a creative project, and it is a process with which they hope to raise awareness among the general public, together with their extended family and friends. “I’m really hoping that [the play] will be an insight into what we have been through, because it was impossible to describe when we were younger” admits Cait. The three are driven by the familiar experience of illness as opposed to the struggles of the sufferer alone, a narrative which they believe is lacking within theatre and the media. “The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night-Time and Rain Man are what we feel to be romanticised versions of autism” Maeve adds. In fact, they see a connection between these fictional characters and the myths and misunderstandings that circle the neurotypical population.

In this, the company hope to express the uniqueness of every autistic individual, and to contribute a perspective other than that of an antisocial genius. “I think we’re at a really important time in terms of autistic representation. This conversation is gaining momentum” says Cait, excitedly. Is it a relief then, to be telling their story at a time when there seems to be a collective desire to understand the complexities of mental health? “Yes” Maeve smiles, “It has to be now”.

Read our review of Living with a Dark Lord.

Living with a Dark Lord is playing Paradise Green at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from August 13th-18th. For more information and tickets, see www.facebook.com/mightypentheatre/