BOY BRAILLE

Fortune Theatre Studio, Dunedin

11/03/2018 - 14/03/2018

Dunedin Fringe 2018

Production Details



Have you ever wondered what it would be like to read with your fingers?  

Boy Braille is a one woman show that tells the story of the little French garçon (boy) who, after an accident in his father’s workshop, goes on to invent the reading and writing system used by aveugle (blind people) all around the world.

Read using the medium he created, that blind woman Julie Woods takes you on a journey of his life from small town France to the Pantheon in Paris. Like Louis and Julie, the audience will be plunged into darkness with part of the play being performed dans la noir (in the dark). But don’t worry! Julie will be reading this story with the code Louis invented which she can do without the lights on!

For Julie this will be the reading aloud assignment of her life as she only learned braille as a 35 year old adult, and she’s never been this bold with her braille reading before. Find out where her reading fingers have taken her and discover her braille dream! Listen to the letters written by Louis to his mother in the countryside and witness the affection Louis held for his family whose love and support enabled him to triumph with his code.

This world premiere performance is being produced by Double Trouble Productions, that’s two Dunedin sisters Julie Woods and Amanda Phillips, who have co-written this tale of Louis Braille after being so inspired by his story.

Come along and enter the world of the blind and leave with your name in braille. We guarantee, like Julie and Amanda, you’ll be blown away by the contribution this little French boy made to the world.

FORTUNE THEATRE STUDIO, 231 Stuart Street, Dunedin
Sunday 11 – Tuesday 13 March 2018
6:00pm
PRICE: $0.00 – $10.00
Get tickets » 

This production is made possible with the support of • Dunedin Fringe Arts Trust • Dunedin City Council • University of Otago: Division of Humanities, Performing Arts Fund • Creative New Zealand • Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind • Otago Access Radio • Disability Information Service: Dunedin 


Performed by Julie Woods


Theatre , Spoken word , Solo ,


1 hr

May very well open your eyes

Review by Quinn Hardie 12th Mar 2018

Descend into darkness with Double Trouble Productions at Fortune Theatre’s Studio, where Dunedin’s very own inspirational speaker Julie Woods, aka That Blind Woman, narrates the journey of Frenchman Louis Braille and his tactile writing system.  

Co-written and produced by Julie Woods Amanda Phillips, Boy Braille brings the history of the Braille system and the story of its inventor to light and part of the performance is performed dans la noir – in the dark, whilst Woods reads the story of Louis Braille live using his code.

Hearing the correspondence from Louis (voiced by Jacob Tichy) to his unconditionally loving and supportive mother makes the emotional force of Louis’ triumph with his code all the more palpable – and we see his legacy carry on in Woods’ personal Braille quest to collect one million names in Braille.

The performance’s strength shines through its use of language as well-constructed, strong-standing sentences and fragments of fluent French fly throughout. The invitation to the audience to have your name typed in Braille after the performance really wraps everything up, giving one a terrific memoir of Louis’ story to take home.

For a wholesome night that may very well open your eyes, come and see Boy Braille, the story of the slate and stylus of those who cannot see, this Fringe Festival season.

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