Crow’s Theatre has teamed up with Fire and Rescue Team to bring us Perceptual Archaeology (or How to Travel Blind). Written and performed by Alex Bulmer, and directed by Leah Cherniak, Perceptual Archaeology not only tells an incredible story of Bulmer becoming a travel writer, but asks us to rethink how we experience the world. Charming, funny, and thought-provoking, Perceptual Archaeology is an example of the power of theatre.

Perceptual Archaeology (or How to Travel Blind) is based on Bulmer’s real-life adventures travelling the world after loosing her sight. Having been inspired by a blind travel writer from the Victorian period, James Holman, Bulmer sets out to retrace his footsteps and travel abroad. Through action and sounds, she recounts her experiences with the help of fellow performer Enzo Massara. Throughout the play, Bulmer discusses her discoveries and hardships, but what is most inspiring is her stories of how she had to reframe her outlook on travelling to that of a blind person, rather than a sighted one. This idea of reframing your ideas based on your current situation rather than what you’ve had or what you wish you had really speaks to me and is a solid reminder that taking that step back from our situation can often yield impressive results.

A unique element to this production was the steps they’ve taken to make the performance as seamless as possible for Bulmer to be performing on her feet. She asks for applause from the audience to re-orient herself towards us, and Massara is not only her sometimes scene partner, but also feeds her her text through a mic to an earpiece she wears throughout. My favourite was the games we’d play to help her navigate the set on her own, yaying and booing or giving her left/right directions based on her movements. It gets the audience involved in the production while also giving us a small piece of understanding of what she experiences every day. From the smile on Bulmer’s face, I think she enjoys these moments of audience participation as well!

Alex Bulmer gives a vulnerable, humorous, and inspiring performance. I love that she talks about everything, the highs and the lows; the honesty of the performance truly makes it shine. She’s also incredibly kinetic, and makes great use of the space (I mean the whole space, not even just the theatre!). Massara does a great job of matching her energy when called upon to assist her in acting out a scene. There’s a surprising amount of physical comedy in this play, which only further proves the tenacity of the creator/performers.

Perceptual Archaeology (or How to Travel Blind) is a play I’ll never forget; the way it made me look at the world and consider my own relationship to my senses is unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed before. For more information on this incredible production and its creators, visit: https://www.perceptualarchaeology.com

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Photo of Alex Bulmer and Enzo Massara by Dahlia Katz