Scottish actor, Abigail Brydon, 28, plays the leading role of Beth in ‘Downs With Love’, this Saturday evening, October 29, as part of a Scotland-wide tour by the Cutting Edge Theatre Company.

Beth is a happy, confident young woman who quickly takes a shine to Mark, a singer in the local pub. But Mark is already falling for Tracy, Beth’s support worker. Now Beth loves Mark who loves Tracy, and everything is getting complicated. But surely everyone has the right to fall in love? 

Writer and director, Suzanne Lofthus wants the play to challenge perceptions about disability, so she worked closely with Abigail to make sure that the experiences of her character in 'Downs With Love' incorporate some of her real-life experiences, from the discrimination she faced at an amateur drama group to her love of Coronation Street and the musical ‘Phantom of the Opera’. 

Abigail’s understudy on tour is 18-year-old Alexandra Bauld, who is making her professional acting debut. She said: “We are representing people with Down’s in the play. It’s about what it’s like to live with Down’s. There are a lot of lines to learn but I’m really enjoying it.”

Since launching its INSPIRE programme ten years ago, Cutting Edge Theatre has pioneered projects to help learning-disabled people access drama training. Cutting Edge Young Company was launched last August, for young learning-disabled adults aged 18-25, followed this year by Cutting Edge Youth Theatre, for learning-disabled young people aged 14-18. 

Added Suzanne Lofthus said: “Things are better than they used to be but there’s still a long way to go. We need to see a more positive representation of learning-disabled people on our stages and screens - but we can’t just talk about it, we have to do it. Abigail and Alexandra are doing just that, telling a real-life story, challenging the audience about their perceptions, and showing the world what they can do.”

'Downs With Love' also includes integrated British Sign Language interpretation in every performance with actor and BSL interpreter Rachel Amey joining the cast to play Julie, Beth’s confidant. Audio files to help visually impaired audience members are available on the Cutting Edge Theatre website. 

Tickets for Saturday’s 7:30 pm performance are priced at £10, (£8 concession; carers free) and are available from the SLLC online box office or directly from the venue on 01355 261000.