The hugely successful one-person show, Tides (An Autism Story) will be making waves at Manchester’s very own 53Two in July. Based on real experiences of growing up on the autism spectrum, Tides (An Autism Story), was launched in 2024 at The Hope Theatre in London (when it was simply just called Tides) at the tail end of Autism Acceptance Week where the show raised £100 for London’s Autism Charity Group. Following this, the show toured the UK, performing in Guildford, Salford, and Camden Fringe. Then last year, the show performed at London’s Union Theatre, sold out at New Wimbledon Theatre, took the Newcastle Fringe Festival by storm (achieving the ‘Runner Up’ position of Newcastle Fringes Theatre Award), all before performing a critically acclaimed, weeklong run at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Festival!
Tides (An Autism Story) follows the life of Dylan Ward as he navigates his way through primary school, secondary school, college, university, his first full time job, and COVID, all the while struggling to fit in with what some would call ‘conventional norms’ due to his autism causing him to misunderstand situations. Along the way, he meets classmates who don’t understand him, teachers who dismiss or bully him, and managers who can’t comprehend his attitude to work. But this never stops him trying! All culminating in a production praised for being “nothing short of brilliant” by Theatre & Tonic, “beautifully bittersweet” & “a unifying experience” by A Young(ish) Perspective, and “filled with humour and condour” by WeeReview. All of which awarded the show ★★★★!
Joe Dennis, the writer and performer of Tides (An Autism Story) talks of the importance of depicting autism on stage and why he wanted to share this story. “Growing up autistic was incredibly challenging” he explains. “Seeing the world in a way that was different to everybody else, not always feeling like you fit in or understand such a mad world. And worse still, the fact that other students and even teachers wouldn’t always take the time to understand, and the impact of how I affected others in turn affected me. I wanted to put that on stage to show what it’s like from the perspective of someone on the spectrum, and to put the word out that no matter how someone else behaves, everyone really is just human deep down”.
The show marked the directorial debut of Will Sutherland who described feeling “honoured” at being asked to direct the show. “It’s a wonderfully charming script, full of humour, heart and some very real and relatable drama. Joe and I studied together at Drama School, so I knew how personal this was for him, and I felt it my duty to ensure I did it justice”. This included playing a huge role in the shows production design, as Will explains, “One of Dylans prefixations is his compulsion to draw. I thought it would be fun to buy a few notebooks and markers and go to town with a ton of cartoony drawings that we could stick to the walls and around the audience to help immerse them in this world”. Joe had nothing but praise for Will for these drawings, saying “Not only are these drawings absolutely brilliant (seriously, he’s an exceptional artist) but he gave this show something of a genuine identity. I can’t thank Will enough for everything he’s done for this show”.
Tides (An Autism Story) received glowing praise from audience members and critics alike, with Rebecca from Huddersfield proclaiming this to be “by far the best piece of modern theatre that I have ever seen” and Ellie Ball describing the Edinburgh performance as “an excellent and thoroughly absorbing show”. Joe’s performance has been celebrated as having a “talent to entertain” by Josephine Galvin from Manchester Theatre Academy, being “a brave, committed performer, with a depth of kindness and sincerity” by Professor Louis Kavouras, and “a delight to experience” by A Young(ish) Perspective. In turn, Will’s direction has been praised as “excellent” (Manchester Theatre Academy), “expertly woven” (Theatre & Tonic), and “wise, creating a dynamic playing space” (A Young(ish) Perspective). “I really couldn’t be happier with the response to this show” enthuses Joe. “I really believe in the message, and I love how it’s connected with people. People have personally told me that they connected to it because they are on the spectrum, and they felt really seen. It means a lot to receive feedback like that”.
Tides (An Autism Story) will be performing at 53Two on Thursday 23rd July at 7:30pm. Tickets are on sale now, don’t miss out!
