Over 100 drama students went to see Tribes by Nina Raine along with Ms Johnson, Ms Fraser and Mrs Spicer. The quietly devastating Tribes does more than revolve around a young deaf man’s place in his family: it makes you hear the world differently.

Billy’s fiercely intelligent, idiosyncratic and proudly unconventional family are their own tiny empire where conversation is a no-holds-barred struggle for attention. Father, mother, brother and sister fling opinions, arguments and insults around without any attention being paid to the possible damage being caused. Tribal warfare. Even though Billy can’t hear a word, he watches it all in silence. Meeting Sylvia makes him finally want to be heard; but the question is, can he get a word in edgeways?

Tribes received its world première at London’s Royal Court Theatre in 2010 and earned an Olivier Award nomination for Best Play.

Students will be reviewing the play as part of the NCEA external drama examinations this year.