There are two things that stayed with me weeks after Being Carried closed: its kindness and its ferocity. It’s a strange pair of words to describe a play, but I can’t really think of any other.
As I watched the various performers shadow their peers to interpret their lines and monologues in sign language, the subtitles projected above the stage being in both Malay and English, and other acts of accommodation, it felt like a kindness.
But I also watched them pour their hearts out in breathtaking performances, going far beyond the usual pity and inspirational beats associated with disabled-representing media. They come with righteous fury, anger, and frustration, unafraid to tell their truth in their way.
Being Carried is a multidisciplinary performance of dance, drama, and theatre performed by performers with disabilities. Katie O’Reilly, playwright and director, mentions how the show is part of a movement to highlight the stories and perspectives of disabled people around the world.
The performers hail locally, and represent a diverse range of disabilities: mobility issues, deafness, and neurodivergent.
It would be unfair and shallow to call them an eclectic cast of characters, when really what they are is a wonderful collective of disabled artists, telling stories that reflect their own experiences.
Each of them also come from a background of disability advocacy, either in theatre, music, or charities, so it’s no wonder then they are able to tell their stories in such evocative and memorable narratives.
Ammar Karim, a deaf performer, guides us through a bustling nightclub, filled with dancing, drinking, and lights, as he sways his way through a pin-drop silent, empty stage.
Wheelsmith, the only wheelchair user of the group, performs a hilarious, honest monologue of talking with nosey pakciks that asks stupid questions, slowly spiralling into the frustration of just existing as a disabled person in society.
There is a brutal honesty in Being Carried that is underrepresented in the media. We pity our savants, like Dustin Hoffman in Rainman, or find ‘simple’ figures and their naivete approach to life inspiring, i.e. Forrest Gump, but they don’t often represent the real truth of disability within society.
It’s a powerful play, but not without faults.
The different performances themselves were excellent, but the transitions between scenes felt jarring. Going from comedy to tragedy, or vice-versa, there was a heavy tension among the audience as to whether to laugh or cry.
As we settle into the play, we find ourselves more comfortable with the tonal changes, being able to sense the kind of story and tone it would be.
With this play, Katie O’Reilly fostered beautiful, enduring performances from its five stars; Ho Lee Ching, Wheelsmith, Gejaletchumi Murugaya, Ammar Karim, and Calysta Tay.
Wheelsmith, also known as Danial Bawthan, suffers from muscular dystrophy and is a wheelchair user. He is also a rapper, music producer, street photographer, and arguably highlight performance of the show.
The scenes with him always feel special: impeccable comedic timing, raw and powerful line delivery, and because of the condition of his body, uniquely choreographed dance scenes that stay with you.
From each of them, we get an honest portrayal of the frustrations of living as a disabled person in society, told with unbridled ferocity. And for us, the audience, we find the kind of kindness it requires from each of us to make things better.
Being Carried carries itself (pardon the pun) with a grace and humility and dignity that could have only existed when told through the voice of artists with disability. It tells stories of real struggle and hope, grounded within our own community, and forces us to confront the truths of those we purposely glance away from, for fear of being caught staring.
Being Carried played at Pentas 2 in the KL Performing Arts Centre from 24-26 July 2026, presented by the Kaite O’Reilly Collaborations.
Image Credits: Cheah Chee Wai
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