Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Stellar groundbreaking monologues shed light on disability.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
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Where to Watch
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CripTales
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Hosted by His Dark Materials' Mat Fraser, CRIPTALES features dramatic monologues written, directed, and performed by self-identified disabled individuals. Each of the six 15-minute fictional presentations, which are based on research and real-life experiences, captures a life-changing moment for a disabled person that took place some time over the last 50 years. From an actor born with thalidomide-induced birth defects getting ready to go into an audition, to a woman who is processing the looming amputation of her leg to control deadly blood clots, each story offers dramatic insight into what life is like for someone living with a disability.
Is It Any Good?
This special event program, which was released in October 2020 to honor National Disability Employment Awareness month, uses fictional monologues to portray 50 years of British disability history. A diverse group of British actors who identify as disabled, including Mat Fraser, Jackie Hagan, Matilda Ibini, and Robert Softley Gale, deliver outstanding performances meant to challenge stereotypes about disability and the disabled.
Each narrative is fictional, but thanks to the honest and powerful way they're delivered it's impossible not to appreciate the truth behind their messages. There are some uncomfortable moments, too, as the long history of systemic disability discrimination -- and the frustrations of those who are forced to negotiate it -- are highlighted and underscored. But CripTales also pays homage to the creative work and talent of the self-identified disabled persons who worked on this project, and their insistence on being visible and heard.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way each CripTales performer addresses disability. How does each individual experience speak to the challenges faced by people who identify as disabled? How does each person confront them?
Have the stereotypes and negative attitudes about disabilities decreased over the past 50 years? Are more people with disabilities employed now? What role has the media played in these changes?
TV Details
- Premiere date : October 1, 2020
- Cast : Mat Fraser , Jackie Hagan , Matilda Ibini
- Network : BBC America
- Genre : Drama
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 27, 2020
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