It is in the nature of dramatists to challenge ordinary, conventional ways of thinking and being. In effect, to think outside of the box, to give things a big shake up.
With JELLYFISH British dramatist Ben Weatherill turns our minds to the world of disability, in particular to people who have Down’s Syndrome. The prevalent attitude is that people with Down’s Syndrome have very limited lives. This isn’t the case with Weatherill’s heroine, Kelly.
Kelly is a young woman with Down’s Syndrome. She is looked after and cared for by her mother Agnes. In the first scene we see them having some quiet time by the beach with Kelly playing with a large crab she has found, to the consternation of her mum.
Things take an unexpected turn in the next scene when we see Kelly befriend a young guy, Neil. They are chatting away when Kelly makes a pass at him, and they kiss. Agnes finds out about the kiss and is determined to nip the romance in the bud.
Deborah Jones’ production brings out all the nuances in the play. Her staging is skilled, and her creative team give strong support to the performers; James Smithers’ set places us in a beachside setting. Michael Schell’s lovely lighting design and subtle soundscape work well, as does his bridging music between scenes.
The performances are great. Audrey O’Connor, who herself has Down’s Syndrome, gives a very expressive performance as Kelly who goes after life and love with a perky, ebullient attitude. She isn’t going to die wondering!
Siobhan Lawless’s performance as her mum Agnes who tries to find the very delicate, in fact impossible balance, between protecting her daughter, and giving her some room to breathe. The mother and daughter relationship is at the heart of the play.
Joseph Tanti’s Neil makes Kelly’s heart race as she experiences her first love, isn’t it always magical, love. The scenes between O’Connor ad Tanti are at times light and humorous, and at other times tender. My favourite scene in the play is when they, out of the blue, share a lovely, flowing, extended dance together.
Daniel MacKenzie is an appealing, light presence as the neuro diverse Dominic who Agnes feels would be a better match for her daughter, as he also has a disability.
A fine play is given an equally fine production, Ben Weatherill’s JELLYFISH has just one week to go. The final performances are today (Sunday) at 5pm, next Thursday, Friday with the last performance on Saturday at 2pm.
Hi David
I totally agree with your review. Such an unexpected script that takes you on a roller coaster ride with good amounts of humour speckled in between. Lead character, Audrey O’Connor plays a brilliant Kelly and the his play needs to be seen. It should be a feature film so everyone can see it!