Under the Spotlight: What a Theatre Performance Changed For Me
Shweta Kansal
As a mental health professional, I am trained to understand the limitations associated with sensory processing, communication barriers, and intellectual disabilities in the neurodiverse population. I see these individuals in therapy rooms with parents discussing sensory sensitivities, behavioural challenges, communication struggles, and family stress.
But outside those rooms, thanks to a theatre programme, I saw something else–the confidence under stage lights, resilience under pressure, and an inclusive community in its purest form. Recently, I attended a stage performance, ‘Legends of the Jungle Book’ directed by Diana Tholoor, a 71-year-old theatre artist and founder of the Diana Tholoor Academy of Movement and Drama. It was enacted by adolescents and adults with neurodevelopmental disorders.
There were around 250-300 people in the audience, including grandparents sitting proudly in the front rows, parents holding their phones ready to record, and siblings waiting excitedly. What struck me first was the atmosphere. It felt safe, accepting, and like everyone belonged there.
As the play began, the performers walked onto the stage in full costume, each with a microphone. The room was filled with bright lights, loud music, and a large audience. For many individuals with sensory sensitivities, this environment itself can be overwhelming. And yet, there they were, excited, confident, and smiling. On stage, they were just actors. They did not just cope; they thrived.
Some of them delivered long monologues, four to five minutes at a stretch. They spoke in English, even though it is not their first language. They remembered their lines beautifully. What touched me deeply was the improvisation, when someone forgot a sentence, another stepped in gently to help. One could see the teamwork and support without embarrassment. The ‘jungle’ came alive with humour and small, unexpected twists.
It was not a perfect performance, but it was humane and real, with its own imperfections. Yes, some were stimming on the stage. Some members in the audience were stimming too. A few children talked aloud during the performance…But no one seemed disturbed. No one tried to silence them. No one was uncomfortable.
That, perhaps, was the most beautiful part. There were no restrictions. No constant corrections. Just acceptance. Everyone was simply enjoying the moment. They were being celebrated.
What I learnt from this experience as a mental health professional is that we often underestimate, assume, and focus on what neurodivergent individuals cannot do. We focus on deficits, cognitive difficulties, social communication difficulties, and challenging behaviours.
But as I witnessed, when provided with structure, rehearsal, acceptance, and creative space, these same neurodivergent individuals memorised long dialogues, rehearsed for months, managed full-day practices, and performed before a large audience. They sat through rehearsals, memorised through repetition, waited around from morning, managed with the costumes, adapted to scene transitions, waited backstage, regulated their emotions, handled the sensory overload, and kept going…
After the play ended, all I could see was the pride in the eyes of parents, grandparents, and the audience. For many families raising children with neurodevelopmental disorders, life revolves around therapy sessions, school meetings, and daily challenges. Rarely do they get to sit in an auditorium and simply clap with joy for their children.
That day, they did.
I had walked into the auditorium expecting a sweet school programme—I didn’t expect to walk out with a full heart.
I can’t help thinking that maybe the question is not whether individuals can do such things. The real question is whether we are creating enough opportunities for them to try. And perhaps, we are not.
I realised that inclusion is not about lowering expectations. It is about creating the right space and providing the right support. As professionals, families, and society, we need more such stages for our neurodivergent individuals, not just in auditoriums, but in homes, classrooms, and communities.
About the Author: Shweta Kansal is a Clinical Psychologist, currently pursuing her PhD at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru. Her work focuses on supporting neurodivergent individuals and their families.
She also shares: Dr. Diana Tholoor is a 71-year-old theatre artist and founder of the Diana Tholoor Academy of Movement and Drama. She has devoted 27 years to training children and young adults with special needs, a journey that earned her an Honorary Doctorate for her transformative work.
