“It just feel so significant, so weighty and so relevant,” said Ben who plays disabled ranch hand Candy in John Steinbeck’s powerful study of workers searching for their version of the American dream.
Set on a Californian ranch during the Great Depression, the play looks at the various characters who have headed West in search of work and, hopefully, a better life.
“Steinbeck in a way is a bit of an American Charles Dickens,” said Ben. “When you think of Victorian England you think Dickens; when you think of 1930s America in the Great Depression, you think of Of Mice and Men or The Grapes of Wrath. He was so great at writing about that era he’s come to define it in many ways.
“Of Mice and Men does deal with weighty subject matter but there are these big colourful characters in the midst of it all that you buy into so much, they’re the audience’s way in to these heavy subjects.”
This production, which has already visited Derby and Hull to rave reviews, sticks pretty closely to the original script.
“We have made the decision to remove the ‘n’ word, the most explosive bit of racist language in there,” said Ben. “There was a debate in rehearsal about whether we should do that or not. We all saw both sides of the argument but in end decided that the word was perhaps too distracting for an audience.
“It’s not something modern audiences are used to hearing any more but the underlying themes of racism and other prejudice are still there. Hopefully our version is still honest and still real.”
The other major change revolves around Ben’s character Candy.
“In the book he is an amputee, the result of an accident on the ranch,” said Ben. “But I’m blind and I did wonder if it was appropriate. But I re-read the book and realised that what’s important about Candy is that he’s a newly-disabled character who has been injured on the farm and he’s struggling to deal with that and everyone else around him is struggling to work out what to do with him now.
“I thought that thread works just as well if it’s me as a blind person playing the role. We only had to change about three words to make that work; other than that I think we’ve been pretty faithful to the original.”
Playing Candy as a blind character has allowed Ben to raise awareness people with disabilities often face.
“My favourite bit in show is when I get to vent and rant,” he said. “In my head he’s saying ‘everyone’s treating me as though I’m useless but I’m not.’ He’s desperate for the chance to show he’s as capable as he ever was.
“The production does raise the question of a number of prejudices whether that’s misogyny, racism or ableism which are all, sadly still very prevalent today. Maybe that prejudice doesn’t express itself in the same way any more but it’s still very relevant and real. It still feels a universal truth and audiences have responded to that.”
Luke Richards as Lennie and Liam King as George in Of Mice and Men (Picture: Pamela Raith)As well as being an actor on the show, Ben has also been responsible for the production’s pioneering use of creative audience description.
Every show at the Octagon will be ‘described’ with the cast being responsible for the process.
“Most of time what happens in a three week run like ours at the Octagon is there will be one maybe two described performances. Those with visual impairments will be given a headset and someone at back of theatre describes visual element of the show
“I have ultra respect for people who do that – it’s a really great skill. But there is so much more that can be done.”
In Of Mice and Men a booth will be set up to the side of the stage where cast members will go at various times of the production and take it in turn to audio described in character
“It’s a really exciting way to do it,” said Ben, who has set up his own company Hear The Picture to explore new ways of bringing audio description to theatres.
“The actors get to bring their skills as vocal performers to it, and make it more engaging,” he said. “Also because it’s done in character you get insights into what their characters are feeling. You’re getting this extra layer of the world which is really exciting.”
Ben, who lost his sight in his 20s following years of problems with his eyesight, is the perfect position to judge how effective the descriptions are.
“First of all I’m an example of the audience that this is aimed at,” he said, “so I can stop things in rehearsal and say ‘I didn’t understand that’ or ‘this needs to be clearer’. Then I’ve got 20-odd years or working in the theatre. It’s really satisfying.”
Ben is particularly pleased that Of Mice and Men is coming to the Octagon.
“I’ve never worked there and have always wanted to,” he said. “I remember going with school to see The Crucible there, we went on a coach from Stockport where I grew up.
“I know that it’s a very intimate space which will work so well with this production. The audience will feel as though they are in the bunk house with us, experiencing everything.”
Of Mice and Men is at the Octagon, Bolton from Wednesday, March 26 to Saturday, April 12. Details from www.octagonbolton.co.uk
