Powerful, raw and deeply emotional, Glass Child arrives at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as a striking new documentary dance-theatre work from The Farm, blending movement, storytelling and lived experience to create a profoundly moving theatrical journey.
At the centre of the production is the extraordinary relationship between siblings Kayah and Maitreyah Guenther. Kayah, a young man with Down Syndrome, and his younger sister Maitreyah share a connection that transcends language, expressed through the physicality and intimacy of dance. Together, they explore what it means to grow up in a world shaped by other people’s perceptions.
The title Glass Child refers to the often-overlooked sibling of someone with special needs, a person who can feel invisible or “looked through”. The piece draws on Maitreyah’s experience of witnessing her brother being excluded, ridiculed or misunderstood, and examines the emotional complexity of their bond with tenderness and honesty.
Rooted in the real-life story of the Guenther family, the production highlights a journey shaped by determination, love and belief. Kayah’s achievements, from an international dance career to successes in powerlifting, stand as a testament to his strength and individuality, challenging assumptions about ability and potential.
Through dance, Kayah and Maitreyah communicate in ways that words cannot fully capture, revealing a shared language of trust and resilience. The result is an intensely personal work that resonates on a universal level, inviting audiences to reflect on identity, belonging and the ways we perceive difference.
The team at The Farm comment, “We’ve known Kayah and Maitreyah since they were 17 and 14 respectively. Our company and their family have grown together and this show is the one we love the most, out of all the shows we’ve made down the years. Together we have extended the idea of what being a family is, for and with each other over the years. We’re very proud that Glass Child is going to Edinburgh and that we get to share it with other people to let them know there’s a lot more going on in the world than they realise. And there’s a lot more in each of us than we often give credit for.”
Created and performed by Kayah and Maitreyah alongside directors Kate Harman and Gavin Webber, Glass Child combines evocative design with a deeply human story, offering a bold and compassionate theatrical experience that challenges audiences to truly see one another.
Glass Child runs at Summerhall (Old Lab) from 6 – 16 August at 13:30. Tickets are on sale here
