(Quiet street. sounds of traffic & people walking)
TERRY: We didn’t quite believe it.
And just series by series of everything.
cancelled. cancelled. cancelled. cancelled.
DAPHNA: We had to come up with forms that we didn’t know.
We had to come up with engaging with audiences in the way that we didn’t know
and we also really had to justify why it’s important that we exist.
(Quiet beats quietly build)
TERRY: The essential thing that we were trying to offer to people
was this opportunity to touch at a time that we weren’t allowed to touch.
And so it felt like urgent in a way
and started riffing on ideas how this could potentially work.
This piece that would be one-on-one.
that we can offer touch to an audience member
and offer a really intimate experience safely.
(Insistent strings play with beats underneath)
HELEN: My name is Helen.
I work in a care centre.
The patients that we work with are dementia patients.
patients that are end of life.
We do pampering.
we do sensory.
just to relax the patients if they are agitated.
Some of them are feeling low. not been visited by family.
I have a patient that I am very dear to that loves touch.
When you go to his room. he comes to you with his hands out.
It is showing you that I do exist.
I am a person.
Somebody cares for me. Somebody wants to touch me.
And to lose that. it must have been devastating
for them not to have anyone to touch them.
FRANCIS: I’m really intrigued about the relationship between what people will do
and the brain's control over how they do it.
For many years now I have been really interested in a population of nerve fibres
that innovate the skin of the body called C-fibres.
It tickles my wife. It also annoys her
that somebody who is a professor of touch doesn’t particularly like being cuddled.
I can’t help it. It is the way I am.
The poor woman suffers a bit from my…
...not actually craving hugs all the time.
I think what the pandemic has done for those of us
who have been quietly working away for something like 20 years now.
characterising the functional properties of this nerve fibre that responds to gentle touch
is awaken the whole planet. really. to the fact that touch is important.
This touch system is basically building a resilience to stress.
It is helping us cope with stress.
Switch it off and I don’t think it takes a neuroscientist to see
that there could be some negative consequences
in our ability to basically deal with the normal stresses of everyday life.
MORGAN: I was a naughty boy and got myself in jail for a year.
So in prison what happens is sometimes when there is either a fight
or someone unfortunately overdoses on drugs…
it can keep you in a lockdown for a while.
You can be in your cell for three or four days.
I think the longest I couldn’t speak to people or
be outside my cell was four or five days in Pentonville.
Very weird experience. but similar I would have assumed to most people with lockdown.
The need to speak to people face-to-face.
the need to connect to people are very important.
And when you shut yourself off. or you wall yourself off from that physically.
I don’t think human beings do well.
(Piano chimes into the strings. with a more insistent tone)
HELEN: Hello.
USHER: Hello!
HELEN: Thank you.
USHER: If you could step into that green square over there. please.
HELEN: Sure.
USHER: Thank you.
USHER: So. welcome everyone to this performance of Skin Hunger.
The performers will offer you touch through the plastic.
You are welcome to accept this or not. just do as you feel comfortable.
The show will begin shortly.
I’ll just let them know that you are ready.
(Trombone music with a drumbeat underneath plays)
RACHEL: Do you want to know the body part that I am most insecure about?
FRANCIS: Yeah. absolutely.
RACHEL: Okay. I’m glad you said yes.
Although I am embarrassed and it is silly.
but it’s my hands.
FRANCIS: Oh no!
RACHEL: I don’t have soft hands.
FRANCIS: You don’t have soft hands?
That’s the part you don’t like being touched?
RACHEL: Uh huh.
FRANCIS: Ok.
RACHEL: I went to shake someone’s hand in a large group innocently and politely.
I offered them my hand and they flinched.
They pulled away so quickly and at the top of their lungs in front of everyone.
they went. “you don’t have soft hands”
and I didn’t have an answer…
FRANCIS: Let me have a look at them. No they are not. are they?
HELEN: I can touch your hands if you like.
RACHEL: Awww.
HELEN: Aww.
HELEN: That is so nice. You have lovely soft hands.
(HELEN and RACHEL laugh)
FRANCIS: For someone who’s not particularly fond of touch.
I could sense how vitally important it is for other people.
RACHEL: Even just the tips of our fingers. Tip to tip.
HELEN: That’s nice. That’s a nice feel. the tips of the fingers.
(HELEN and RACHEL laugh)
HELEN: The girl was saying about her hands…
...just makes you feel that....
...that you're. you're not wanted.
No one wants to touch your hands.
And knowing how that makes you feel...quite empty inside.
TERRY: Can you bear even… just... a hand... even...
maybe....just a hand... just one touch.
I mean understand if...
but with your permission. we restart maybe?
Maybe?
Thank you.
I’m sorry.
And I’ll be different next time. I promise.
And I’ll listen next time and I’ll ask permission next time.
And I’ll be gentle next time and I’ll seek consent next time.
MORGAN: This person has done me wrong.
Knows that they have done me wrong. but whatever it is.
this person is also so guilt-ridden. so in pain. so apologetic...
I can only think back to myself.
For example. me and my brother don’t get on.
I always been very reticent to actually accept any sort of communication
but what you don’t want to do is make them feel bad forever for doing it.
You want to say. “Look I’ve moved on.
you can move on. Let’s go our separate ways”.
TERRY: I'm sorry.
MORGAN: I know.
TERRY: Thank you. thank you.
MORGAN: There is touch in prison. it’s just different.
A different touch.
Men. I feel. even on the outside.
show affection differently to how we would show it towards my mother.
And that’s one of the great things about plays.
It can make you think about it for yourself
and your own life and where these themes can bring up various different emotions.
various different memories within yourself.
OSELOKA:
(singing)
HELEN: Yeah. the last one really got me.
Really really got me. It just...
OSELOKA: Well. well. well. So long since I see you.
How are the children?
HELEN: They’re good.
OSELOKA: Good to see you.
HELEN: Good to see you too.
OSELOKA: Good to see you.
HELEN: Good to see you.
OSELOKA: You can’t go out now Dad. You only have one slipper on.
No. look! I have my shoes.
No. Dad. that’s a sock. Dad.
(Cello playing)
This one is a slipper. Yes. Dad.
But this. Dad. this is just a sock.
Yeah. well you could get me the other slipper.
No. it’s wet. It needs washing. You wee’d in it.
What you talking about? How I could do that?
You do it all the time.
(laughs)
You think I foolish?
Yes! Yes. you are. You're foolish Dad. You're foolish.
You have Alzheimer’s and you wee in your slipper.
Have you seen my mum?
No. No. You don’t see her. Mum?
It’s not clear here. Helen. whether he’s talking about his mum or his wife.
So basically. she’s holding his hand.
You can go now.
HELEN: You can go now.
OSELOKA: There’s nothing more for you to do. Dad.
HELEN: There's nothing more for you to do. Dad.
OSELOKA: I love you.
HELEN: I love you.
OSELOKA: I love you darling Dad.
HELEN: I love you darling Dad.
FILMMAKER: Are you ok?
FILMMAKER: How was that?
HELEN: Very emotional.
FILMMAKER: You can take your mask off. if you want.
FILMMAKER: You can take your mask off. if you want. HELEN: Thank you.
FILMMAKER: Tell me about the experience.
HELEN: Where do I start?
(Gentle string music and piano plays)
HELEN: It was about touch.
About how you as a person feel wanted and needed.
And without having it it feels like you’re non-existent. really.
That kind of feeling.
Yeah.
And also even... about the Alzheimer’s.
That was quite touching…
You can...
Knowing that you feel.... a bit non-existent.
Yeah.
Just makes me feel how... what I do is...
I just feel that I can offer so much.
and knowing if it’s that little. that it will go a long way.
Yeah.
FRANCIS: Putting that link between our basic understanding of these little nerve fibres
that like to be stroked and the reality of that in terms of people’s lives
is what theatre can do.
It can create meaning.
RACHEL: And so you're leaving.
FRANCIS: So the neuroscience and the art actually build a bridge.
and I think that this is a very important venture because it puts two things together.
FRANCIS: We have become aware of what we didn’t know we had
until we missed it and. at that level. this play was really on the money.
in terms of resonating with people’s awareness now.
FRANCIS: If you're not aware of something. you don’t think about it.
and if it’s there all the time you take no notice of it.
but when someone removes it.
the brain realises that there's something missing.
And what brains had realised globally was... physical contact...
It makes us tick. quite frankly.
Or most people.
Myself excluded. Possibly.
DAPHNA: I remember in the summer when it was okay to meet people.
Terry and his husband Neil came with their daughter to my house
and I was so happy to see them and I haven’t seen Neil in so long. so I just hugged him.
And he just stopped.
And I said. "I’m so sorry. I didn’t ask for consent.
"I didn’t ask if that was okay. I just assumed."
He said. "No it’s fine. I haven’t hugged anyone for so long.
"I just need a moment to process."
TERRY: I guess one of the things we would like to provoke in the audience
is whether they will be constantly risk assessing a hug as they move forward in life.
As they meet their parents again.
Friends.
Are they going to be risk assessing that moment?
Just... before they reach out and hug.
(Busy street. sounds of traffic and people)
TERRY: And I wonder how long we’ll be doing that for.
I hope it’s not too long.
(Insistent piano & string music returns)