PERFORMANCE PROFILE - Theatre

It is an exciting time for people working in broadcasting and creative industries. We are now beginning to witness the seeds of change in our representation.…and it’s long over due. These industries have a long history of excluding and misrepresenting disabled people in terms of portrayal, workforce and consequently audience. Portrayal of disabled people is still considered to be sparse, frequently inaccurate and focused too often on the character’s impairment. There’s a long way to go…but with new publicly declared commitments from leading broadcasters to make improvements, we are moving in the right direction. Any disabled person working in this industry would surely tell you it can be frustrating trying to persuade people to accept us for who we are; to recognize us as actors, writers, producers, presenters, editors…. and not to merely limit and define us by our impairments. At the same time, however, it is also rewarding to be part of this process of change. I can only hope that personal goals such as the opportunity to play character-led roles, based on the merits of my acting abilities and not focused on disability, would only help to improve the cultural inclusion and acceptance of disabled people as a whole.

Balamory ‘Strike Up The Band’ Arena/Theatre Tour

Role: Penny Pocket
Company: DC Entertainment / BBC Worldwide
Director: Martin Waller
Date: 2005