About Our Up Down Journey
Our Up Down Journey: a celebration
Meet Nathan Bessell, an exceptional performer with Down syndrome, and Heather Williams, the actor/producer who has championed his talent for 25 years.
Doctors warned Nathan’s parents that his profound learning difficulties meant the most he could achieve as an adult would be to “sit in a chair”. When his mum signed him up for Heather’s youth theatre at the age of 16, she hoped to prove the experts wrong.
It was a fateful decision. Heather was so inspired by Nathan’s openness and creativity, it resulted in three ground-breaking stage plays: Up Down Boy, Up Down Man and Up Down Big Man, each featuring Nathan in the lead role of ‘Matty’. This unique trilogy, co-produced by Myrtle Theatre and Wiltshire Creative, traces Matty’s story from boyhood to adulthood, touching on the concerns and joys experienced by all families gifted with a Down syndrome child.
Their remarkable journey has led to national and international theatre tours and acclaimed performances on the National Theatre stage.
It was written, acted and directed with the kind of flair and integrity that you only find in the best theatre
Sir Nicholas Hytner
Don’t miss this opportunity with Nathan and Heather as they perform live excerpts from their plays, show archive film footage of the Up Down project and share photographs of their incredible journey.
- Hear what happened when they faced New Zealand border security with a light sabre and a life-size cardboard cut-out of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in their hand luggage.
- Learn how Nathan gave the performance of a lifetime, appearing in a play written by his
- own mother, mentored by writer of Mamma Mia!, Catherine Johnson
- Discover why working together has changed both their lives for the better in a world where there is little professional opportunity for people with learning difficulties.
- Find out about the obstacles they have encountered and the creative challenges of
- balancing independence and care.
- Enjoy meeting Nathan – an extrovert, humorous, charismatic individual with a remarkable talent for performance.
Our Up Down Journey is an unforgettable experience, exploring the highs and lows of this joyful and unconventional creative partnership.
