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20 November 2019 updated 07 Jun 2021 2:27pm
Jellyfish: exploring the sex life of a woman with Down’s syndrome
JELLYFISH by Ben Weatherill ;
Directed by Tim Hoare ;
Set Design by Amy Jane Cook ;
Lighting Design by Jamie Platt ;
Sound Design by Ella Wahlström ;
Assistant Director: Hana Pascal Keegan ;
National Theatre ;
In association with the Bush Theatre ;
Dorfman Theatre ;
London, UK ;
5 July 2019 ;
Credit and copyright: Helen Murray
Helen Lewis is a staff writer at the Atlantic and former deputy editor at the New Statesman.
Support 100 years of independent journalism.
“Can you hear that sound?” asks Kelly, holding one finger up in the air. “It’s my virginity, screaming.” Her virginity has good reason to protest. She’s 27 and desperate to discover what sex is like. She also has Down’s syndrome. Her mother thinks her boyfriend Neil is grooming her, preying on her vulnerability. Kelly disagrees. She just wants a shag.
Jellyfish was developed for the actor Sarah Gordy, who plays Kelly, and it shows. Ben Weatherill’s script is sweet and sharp, played against a gaudy Pleasure Beach sign half-submerged in sand, like Planet of the Apes transported to Skegness.
The story begins with Kelly, her mother Agnes and a dead crab. Kelly is fascinated by it, wants to know its name, takes a photo on her mum’s phone and makes it the screensaver. From the start, the question of Kelly’s ability to look after herself is left hanging in the air. Is Agnes (Penny Layden) over-protective or just protective enough? She instantly dislikes Neil, played with doe-eyed tenderness by Sion Daniel Young, because he is not disabled. She tries to set up Kelly with Dominic, who has Asperger’s, instead.
Gordy is the best-known actor with Down’s in Britain, and this production could not exist without the realness she brings to it. Mockery, condescension, difficulty in communicating: these are Kelly’s problems, but they don’t disappear when Gordy steps off stage. She occasionally fluffs her lines, going back to start again. It doesn’t feel awkward; it’s more like a challenge: you’re in my world now, drop your expectations and accept my rules.
Like his character, Dominic, Nicky Priest is on the autistic spectrum. He captures both the comic bluntness and the touching vulnerability of the condition beautifully. (His opening gambit to Neil, when they finally meet, is “So I hear you’re uncircumcised?” Neil looks at him, unfazed, and makes the connection: You must be Dominic.)
This is the first time I’ve seen a play in what the National Theatre calls a “relaxed environment”. The audience is free to leave and re-enter the auditorium (although only a few did) and there was a chill-out room nearby with squishy pillows. The production avoids sudden loud noises and the house lights are lowered less than normal. All that makes it more welcoming for those with autism or learning disabilities, and there were several people with Down’s in the audience. The idea is a great one and I’m glad to see it in action.
While this is a play specifically about disability, it is also about universal themes of adulthood and independence. Looking at Gordy’s young-old face – she is 15 years older than her character – it is easy to see how she is infantilised by the world around her. Her mother does it too, for more understandable reasons. She has to shave Kelly’s legs for her, otherwise her daughter takes chunks out of her skin. Can Kelly consent to sex? Can she have a baby of her own? Can someone who needs looking after themselves become a mother?
Without Agnes in the mix, Jellyfish could lapse into soppiness: love conquers all. But it doesn’t. Neil’s co-workers piss on his clothes, seeing him as a pervert. Their relationship will never be simple. When he discovers that Kelly is pregnant, he tells Agnes that he doesn’t care if the baby has Down’s. After all, any baby is a “gift”. Agnes looks at him with hardened eyes. To a single mother, a baby with a disability didn’t feel much like a gift, no matter how many people told her so.
I wanted more of this, because our attitudes to disability are so ripe for dissection. The play deals beautifully with mainstream society’s desire to desexualise disabled people, treating them as perpetual children. It is shocking to see Kelly tell dirty jokes, to dance, to tell Neil she’s horny. But it pokes at something nastier, too. Many people would prefer not to see disabled people at all, to avoid confronting the reality of their existence. Late in the play, Dominic wonders to Kelly if people like them will exist at all in a few decades’ time.
For now, though, the idea of “specialness” is a cover for the brutal, thankless work of caring labour. Kelly loves her mother, but she still spits on her when she’s angry. At the end of the play, we find the pair of them back on the beach, but this time Kelly is prodding a jellyfish. It is soft and slithery, and just as dead as the crab.
So what is the best way to live: with a hard shell to protect yourself, or formless and transparent, so potential predators look straight through you?
Helen Lewis is a staff writer on the Atlantic
This article appears in the 24 Jul 2019 issue of the New Statesman, Shame of the nation
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This post was written in collaboration with Zebedee Management , an agency representing diverse models in the U.K.
Media representation is important. When my daughter was born with Down syndrome , I came home and grabbed my stack of parenting and baby magazines searching for a baby who looked like mine. This was 11 years ago, but I still remember the pang I felt that babies with Down syndrome were not represented. There was no Gerber baby with Down syndrome then.
Thankfully, we are seeing more and more individuals with Down syndrome in print, advertisements and on the runway. From babies to kids to high-end cosmetic brands, models with Down syndrome are present in the media more and more.
How wonderful it will be when we get to a point when picking up a magazine or seeing another commercial for a fashion brand means we will see true diversity. I hope more brands realize that including people with Down syndrome and other disabilities in their advertisements is more representative of life — and is good for business.
Here are 43 models with Down syndrome :
Holly Allen is 10 years old. She has worked for the supermarket Lidl.
Holly is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find her on Instagram .
Mia Armstrong has worked for brands such as Walmart, Amazon, Target and Tommy Hilfiger. She is represented by KMR Diversity.
Riley Baxter is 4 years old. He has worked for the British retailer Mothercare in an advertisement and Jools Oliver’s Little Bird Clothing.
Baxter is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find him on Instagram .
Ben Bird is 13 years old. Bird is an actor and most of his assignments are acting jobs. He has worked for clothing company Matalan, the supermarket Lidl and actor-in-training videos.
Bird is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find him on Instagram .
Cora Bishop is 7 years old. She has worked for brands such as Specsavers, River Island, Calpol, Marks and Spencers.
Cora is represented by Zebedee Managemen and you can find her on Instagram .
Jamie Brewer is an actress and model. She was the first person with Down syndrome to walk during New York Fashion week in 2015. She was also featured in Glamour Magazine and clothing line Cur8able. She is represented by KMR Diversity.
Harry Britton is 17 years old. He has worked for fashion brand River Island and appeared on the front cover of Possability magazine.
Britton is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find him on Instagram .
Karrie Brown started modeling for clothing brand Wet Seal in a national campaign in 2013 when she was 17. Since that time, she has been featured with Maurice’s and Kohl’s. She has walked the red carpet at Oscar’s events, had a bracelet designed in her honor by Ronaldo Designer Jewelry (he also designs for Kate Middleton) and had her first film role in the short film “The Decision.”
Jack Brumpton is 18 years old. He has worked for Hunger magazine with British photographer Rankin and appeared for the charity Comic Relief and as an actor for training videos for the film academy.
Jack is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find him on Instagram .
Melissa Denise has worked for Canva Design. She is represented by KMR Diversity.
Zachary Gallegos has worked for Target. He is represented by KMR Diversity.
Kennedy Garcia is a dancer, model and actress. She has worked for fashion brand Justice, American Girl Doll, Disney and Aetna. She is represented by KMR Diversity.
Nino Genua is 20 years old. He has been involved in several campaign shoots.
Nino is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find him on Instagram .
Ellie Goldstein is 17 years old. She has worked for retail company Superdrug and the London Film Festival. Most of Goldstein’s bookings are live or video performances as she is an incredibly talented dancer. She will perform at the Royal Opera House soon.
Ellie is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find her on Instagram .
Makenna Grace has worked for Target. She recently played a student on the Fox TV series “9-1-1.” She is represented by KMR Diversity.
Kate Grant is 19 years old. She has worked for Benefit Cosmetics and London Fashion Week.
Grant is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find her on Instagram .
Mikayla Holmgren has worked for Volk Magazine, St. Croix Valley Magazine and Lake Times. She is the first woman with Down syndrome to compete in a beauty pageant during Miss Minnesota in 2017 and 2018. She has signed with several talent agencies, including Weismann, Moore and KMR Diversity.
Kathleen Humberstone is 19 years old. She has worked for fashion brand River Island, Marvel and several charity shoots. She has spoken at a UN conference about having Down syndrome. She is bilingual and speaks English and French.
Humberstone is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find her on Instagram .
Kennedy Jackson has done modeling for dance-wear clothing. She is represented by KMR Diversity.
Yvette Jackson has worked for Target and Adaptive Life Company. She is represented by KMR Diversity.
Julius Jordan has worked for Parents Magazine, Coney Island Suites and kid clothing company Million Polkadots. He is represented by KMR Diversity.
Chloe Lennon is 5 years old. She has worked for fashion brand River Island, food company Ella’s Kitchen, kid’s clothing brand MiniMode and acted in a film.
Lennon is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find her on Instagram .
Sheridan Lindsey has worked for Nordstrom. He is represented by KMR Diversity.
Connor R. Long is an actor, model and Heartland Chapter 2017 Emmy-winning reporter.
You can find him on Facebook , his website or his IMDB page.
Casen Lyon is 3 years old. He has worked for Target and had a recurring role on the TV show “ Switched at Birth .” He is represented by KMR Diversity.
Joy Minor has worked for clothing brands Zappos and Tommy Hilfiger. She is represented by KMR Diversity.
A post shared by Lily D. Moore (@lilydmooreofficial) on Feb 27, 2019 at 8:58am PST
Lily D. Moore is a professional actress and model. She has starred in films, television episodes and national commercials. She has also done photo shoots on both coasts of the United States.
You can find her on Instagram or visit her website .
Asher Nash has worked for OshGosh and Toys R Us. He is represented by KMR Diversity.
Isabella Oxnard is 19 years old. She has worked on a photoshoot for a large charity and attends a performing arts college.
Isabella is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find her on Instagram .
Jessica Parsons is a young actress, model and yoga instructor. She has worked as a model for Chico’s Runway. She is represented by KMR Diversity.
Frankie Porter is 5 years old. He has worked for U.K. supermarket Sainsbury’s (as the blue bauble in the latest Christmas advertisement) and clothing line Marks and Spencer.
Porter is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find him on Instagram .
A post shared by Micah Quinones (@lifewithmicah) on Jan 17, 2019 at 2:02pm PST
Micah Quinones, the son of actress/model Amanda Booth , is 4 years old and already an international model. He is represented by AKA Talent.
A post shared by Tamara Röske (@tamara.roeske) on Jan 21, 2019 at 10:06pm PST
Tamara Röske is a German model who is also recognized worldwide.
Joaquin Sanchez has worked for the companies Target and Build a Bear. He is represented by KMR Diversity.
Sofia Sanchez is an actress and model. She has done photoshoots for brands such as Nordstroms, Pier 1, Walmart, Target and Build a Bear. She has also done commercials for Target and Build a Bear and appeared on an episode of the TV series “ Switched at Birth .” She is represented by KMR Diversity.
Gabriel Sohotha is 5 years old. He was part of the Radical Beauty project, a fashion photography campaign from Zebedee Mangement that shows the beauty and talent of models who dare to challenge the norm and smash out-of-date stereotypes about the capabilities of people with Down syndrome.
Sohotha is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find him on Instagram .
Grace Strobel is a 22-year-old model. She has worked for Chesterfield Lifestyle Magazine and has been featured in five other magazines with three additional upcoming features. She has been interviewed on TV and radio, walked the Winter Walk Fashion Show by Ola Style and the runway for Atlantic City Fashion Week in February. She was also featured as a model in a dental advertisement.
A post shared by Madeline Stuart (@madelinesmodelling_) on Mar 1, 2019 at 2:34pm PST
Madeline Stuart is an Australian model. She has modeled in New York Fashion Week, Art Hearts Fashion Week, Style Fashion Week, Melange Fashion Week, Caspian Fashion, Runway Dubai, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week China, Birmingham Fashion Week, Sunshine Coast Fashion Festival and dozens of others globally. In February 2017, Stuart launched her own Fashion Label: 21 Reasons Why by Madeline Stuart .
You can find Stuart on Instagram or visit her website .
Callum Swales is 24 years old. He worked during London Fashion Week.
Swales is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find him on Instagram .
A post shared by Chelsea Werner (@showtimewerner) on Feb 6, 2019 at 1:05pm PST
Chelsea Werner has worked, amongst others, for Aerie and Teen Vogue. She has been featured in Forbes and walked at New York Fashion Week.
Grace Wharton is 8 years old. She has worked for Disney and online retailer Very.
Wharton is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find her on Instagram .
Adam Wild is 26 years old. He has worked for London Fashion Week and done training videos as an actor.
Wild is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find him on Instagram .
Sara Zeb is 10 years old. She has worked for companies like River Island, Matalan, Mountain Warehouse and Mini Mode (at London Kids Fashion Week).
Zeb is represented by Zebedee Management and you can find her on Instagram .
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Ellen Stumbo is the founder of Disability Matters, an organization with the mission to encourage every church to embrace disability. Ellen is a national speaker who focuses on issues pertaining adoption, faith, disability and parenting kids with disabilities. Ellen writes for several online platforms including Focus on the Family, LifeWay, MomSense, Not Alone, Mamapedia, Group, The Mighty and the Huffington Post. Her writing also appears in several book anthologies. Ellen blogs at ellenstumbo.com and you can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.
Hi, my name is itzae. I'm here because our newborn has been diagnosed with down syndrome .
How many teens or 20-somethings get to do something so consequential that it raises hopes, dreams, and possibilities for millions of people, while changing society as a whole? Two young, seasoned actors who happen to have Down syndrome are doing just that with their new Hallmark movie, “Color My World With Love.” This is the first Hallmark movie to feature actors with Down syndrome in lead roles. Lily Moore, age 19, has been acting since 2014 amassing over 23 acting credits. She is best known for the Netflix series “Never Have I Ever” where she plays Rebecca. Lily started acting classes at age 6 because several medical conditions left her unable to participate in physical activities many children take for granted. To date, she has had 11 major surgeries. Lily took to acting right away, and it wasn’t long before it was obvious to her family and others that she was a very good actress. Lily is also an experienced model. She learned early to make the most of her talents and always has a positive and strong
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