In Glass Child, performers Kayah and Maitreyah Guenther, with co-directors Kate Harman and Gavin Webber, present a visceral, genre-defying meditation on love, identity, and the bonds of siblinghood. Co-produced by The Farm and Performing Lines, the show defies neat categorisation. It blends physical theatre, autobiographical storytelling, and contemporary dance into a compelling portrait of lived experience.
The work draws its title from the term ‘glass child.’ A phrase used to describe siblings of individuals with disabilities, who are often perceived as being ‘looked through’ by caregivers and institutions. But Glass Child flips this narrative. Rather than solely exploring feelings of being unseen, the production becomes a shared space where both siblings’ experiences are given voice and physical presence.
The production is grounded in truth. It is driven by the performers’ extraordinary ability to embody the emotional and social tensions that arise with loving someone who moves through the world differently. The relationship is central. At once, tender, conflicted, and grounded in deep mutual care. Their differences are not flattened out but rather used to reveal the richness of their connection.
Kayah’s performance is nothing short of arresting. A dancer with Down syndrome, he commands the stage with remarkable clarity and emotional precision. His physical expression communicates a complexity that words often fail to reach. There’s a raw intensity to his movements. There are moments of stillness held with power, punctuated by bursts of joy, frustration, and agency.
In one striking scene, he dances under a harsh light. His shadow is magnified behind him, a metaphor for societal perceptions overshadowing individual identity. Maitreyah’s narrative complements this, offering insights into their shared experiences and the challenges they’ve faced together.
Maitreyah serves as both performer and dramaturg of the piece and is equally captivating. She is not only a sister but also a witness, narrator, and fellow traveller in this theatrical journey. Her spoken passages reflect on childhood, guilt, protectiveness, and the burden of roles assigned too early. Her physical interactions with Kayah – supporting, catching, resisting, echoing – speak volumes about the ways siblings navigate love, autonomy, and responsibility.
The production design amplifies the work’s emotional clarity. Chloe Ogilvie’s lighting subtly guides the audience through shifts in tone. Pools of warmth give way to stark, isolating shadows.
Rozina Suliman’s set and costumes are minimal but effective, creating a fluid, dreamlike space that evokes memory and imagination. Anna Whitaker’s sound design weaves voice, music, and ambient noise into a seamless auditory landscape. It frames the performers without overwhelming them.
Kayah’s early life was marked by bullying and exclusion until dance became his language of connection. That history underpins this work, which refuses pity and insists on presence. The piece was originally developed over several years and has evolved through a deeply collaborative process, ensuring that it is not about Kayah but with him, by him, through him.
A stunning, moving work of great honesty, Glass Child is a rare piece of theatre. Intimate yet expansive, deeply personal yet universally resonant. Glass Child invites audiences to feel, reflect, and perhaps re-see the people they think they know. Kayah and Maitreyah Guenther are remarkable artists. In this work, they offer not just a story but a shared moment of radical vulnerability and strength.
Glass Child runs until 16 April at the Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre, Corner City Road and Cleveland Street Chippendale NSW 2008.
Tickets: https://www.seymourcentre.com/event/glass-child/
Website: https://www.thefarm.company/glass-child
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/_thefarm/
Photo credits: Kate Holmes
