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arts: theatre review
A different coming of age

A sell-out play starring Sarah Gordy tells the story of a young
woman breaking free of the social and family constraints
imposed by her disability. Tracey Harding takes a seat

heatre for people with learning Their close relationship becomes
disabilities is a rarity and usually strained when Kelly meets her boyfriend
Tconfined to small arts theatres. This Neil (Ian Bonar), who does not have a
is certainly not the case with Jellyfish by learning disability. Kelly’s mum questions
Ben Weatherill. why Neil would be interested in her
Jellyfish sold out at the Bush Theatre daughter; she worries about exploitation
where it premiered in 2018. Having and Kelly’s abilities to deal with the
received widespread acclaim, it transferred emotional complexity of a relationship.
to the National Theatre in July this year. What Agnes is really struggling with are
Part of its success can be attributed to the ways that her daughter is maturing,
actor Sarah Gordy recreating the main role and the realisation that Kelly does not
of Kelly. Weatherill, who won the Pitch need her in the same way as before.
Your Play Award for young playwrights run Weatherill cleverly shows her emotions
by London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket and are felt by all parents, regardless of the She swears like a trooper – she tells
Curve Theatre Leicester’s Playwriting child’s ability or disability. hilarious dirty jokes that make the shy,
competition, wrote the part for her. Some scenes highlight Agnes’s role as the insecure Neil seem immature. When Neil
He was familiar with her work on TV and mother of someone with Down syndrome. is concerned about having sex in Kelly’s
theatre, and Gordy was involved in the She has spent years caring for her daughter mother’s house, Kelly pipes up: “Do you
development of the play from the outset. and understands that, while she has always hear that? It’s my virginity screaming ‘shut
Jellyfish is the story of Kelly, a young seen Kelly as an individual, the rest of the fuck up!’”
woman with Down syndrome who lives in society makes assumptions and judgments In an interview with Metro this summer,
the seaside town of Skegness with her on how she is expected to behave. Gordy said how much she enjoyed playing
mother Agnes (Penny Layden). They have the character of Kelly: “There is one thing
walked the same stretch of beach every Sex and stereotypes that Kelly and I have in common, which is
day for 15 years, eating ice cream and Exploring areas for people with learning our sense of humour, but our lives are
hunting for crabs. disabilities that are often considered different because in mine there are more
difficult or inappropriate is a thread that opportunities, which Kelly has not had.”
runs through the play. Showing further that he does not define
Kelly defies the stereotypes of how his characters by their disability,
people expect her to be as a woman with Weatherill includes Dominic, who delivers
Down syndrome. She is extremely self- the funniest lines but who also happens
confident, and it is she who pushes the to have Asperger syndrome. He is played
relationship with Neil forward, particularly by Nicky Priest, who is himself on the
the sexual side. Kelly seems determined to autistic spectrum.
resist the social assumptions that people Kelly’s mother sets him up on a blind
with learning disabilities are vulnerable, date with her daughter, but they end up
and brazenly asserts her sexual autonomy. as friends who openly discuss their
disabilities and the way they shape how
Sarah Gordy at
the Bush others judge them.
Theatre, More challenging discussions arise in
including with later scenes when Kelly falls pregnant,
Penny Layden, raising ethical questions about whether
who plays her Kelly is capable of keeping the baby.
mother When interviewed at the Bush Theatre
premiere, Weatherill said he wrote the
play “because I’m really interested in
putting voices and narratives in plays that
we don’t usually see, and I want to be
part of that conversation”. In Jellyfish, he
has achieved an engaging, entertaining
way of presenting those voices to a
wider audience.
Sam Taylor l Jellyfish is on at the Leeds Playhouse on
28-30 November 2019

www.cl-initiatives.co.uk Community Living Vol 33 No 1 | Autumn 2019 29