Through a blend of anthems that capture the experience of Type 1 Diabetes, from Leona Lewis’ Bleeding Love to The Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams, performer Paul O’Donnell interweaves popular music tracks, recorded interviews and personal experience in his new rave/show, Dia-Beat-Es.
DJing throughout, Paul makes a party out of his own experience of living with the condition since aged two whilst mixing in recorded conversations with his father and cousin, both who have type 1 diabetes, as well as his mother and his sister. Dia-Beat-Es is an honest account of how in the UK 400,000 residents with type 1 diabetes battle to keep their bodies pumpin’, without the possibility of ever pressing pause.
With Dia-Beat-es Paul hopes to cross-fade between motivating his crowd and managing his insulin levels in this mega-mix of sweet, sweet music dedicated to the carb counting druggies (*insulin) like him. Through the show Paul hopes to talk about diabetes burnout, where after years of living with the 24/7 responsibility, many burn out and neglect their condition. A 2019 NHS Audit identified that a mere 20% of people with type 1 diabetes (in the UK) are meeting their doctor’s three aims for improvement (2019 NHS Diabetes Audit), it is the time to start asking why, and what can be done to tackle burnout.
Paul O’Donnell said, “In 2017 I attended a carbohydrate counting course alongside eight other type 1 diabetics, two of whom had just been diagnosed, another had been a diabetic for over 60 years. All eight of them were struggling in their own way with trying to control the condition. In part it reassured me that I was not ‘a terrible diabetic’ as I thought I was before, it also let me know that I was not alone in my own struggle. I hope that Dia-Beat-es does the same for other Type 1s, and their families.”
Paul is an Associate Artist at Birmingham REP and Theatre Absolute who aims to expose the ‘ordinary’ in a ‘spectacular’ fashion. He played a crucial role in Coventry’s year as City of Culture, both as an artist, with his most ambitious performance to date taking place in Coventry Cathedral in February 2022, and as a producer, creating opportunities for up-and-coming artists in the city through his role at Shoot Festival. He has also conceived and led on the inaugural Museum of Me as part of Birmingham 2022 Festival.
Alongside consultations with medical professionals, Dia-Beat-Es has been fact-checked by the Leicester Diabetes Centre, a research unit committed to improving the lives and care of people with diabetes and other long-term conditions. Based at the Leicester General Hospital, they are a collaboration between the University of Leicester and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.
Dia-Beat-es tours 1st Feb – 1st April 2023. Listings and ticket information can be found here
