Ben Weatherill’s new play JELLYFISH, a unique story about the boundaries of love, opens at Bush Theatre on 27 June (press night 29 June). The cast is Ian Bonar, Sarah Gordy, Penny Layden and Nicky Priest.

“I know what people say. How they treat us. But that’s their problem. No one else should give a fuck.”

Kelly likes dirty jokes and finding creatures washed up on the shore. Neil likes Kelly, who makes him dizzy and breathless. But Agnes, Kelly’s mum, struggles to accept their new relationship.

Jellyfish is the story of a first kiss, chips by the beach and coming of age with Down’s Syndrome in a seaside town. It’s a unique romance across uncharted waters which asks: does everyone really have the right to love as they choose?



Ben Weatherill is a writer for theatre, radio and television. His debut full-length play Chicken Dust was written whilst he was playwright in residence at the Curve Theatre. Chicken Dust premiered at the Finborough Theatre, before transferring to the Curve. He has had work performed at The National Theatre Studio, Theatre 503, The Old Red Lion & The Theatre Royal Haymarket. In 2016, he was part of Channel Four's 4Screenwriting course. Since then, he has begun to develop TV projects with independent production companies and is under commission to C4. For radio, he has written an Afternoon Play for BBC Radio 4 and is on a shadow scheme for The Archers.

Director Tim Hoare’s previous productions include; Masterpieces (Surprise Theatre, Royal Court Upstairs); Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare’s Globe/Spoleto Festival, USA); Love’s Labour’s Lost (Madrid and tour, in association with Shakespeare’s Globe); Don Juan (Alcala de Henares); Fred’s Diner (Chichester Festival Theatre); Henry V (Trafalgar 2/Rustavelli, Georgia); BASH (Barons Court). Tim is Associate Artist at Out of Joint and was co-founder and Artistic Director of the Theatre on the Fly: a temporary theatre celebrating Chichester’s 50th anniversary in 2012.

Ian Bonar trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. His theatre appearances include: Be Prepared (Underbelly / VAULT Festival), Arden of Faversham, The Witch of Edmonton, The Roaring Girl (RSC) The Blackest Black (Hampstead Theatre), Brilliant Adventures (Manchester Royal Exchange), City Love (Bussey Building), Me as a Penguin (Arcola), DNA, The Miracle (National Theatre), Ma Vie en Rose (Young Vic). Television includes, Our Loved Boy, New Blood, Black Mirror, Southcliffe, Holy Flying Circus, Going Postal. Film includes: Interlude in Prague, Spectre, Skyfall, Kon-Tiki, Starter for Ten and Atonement.

Sarah Gordy trained at her mum's kitchen table. Her theatre includes: Matilda Glass in Crocodiles (Manchester Royal Exchange), Flora in Once We Were Mothers (New Vic Newcastle Under Lyme and The Orange Tree, Richmond). Jess in Walking on Water (Theatre Centre), Barmaid and Bag Lady in Harold Pinter Shorts at Brighton Festival and Mary McBride in Seize the Day (Hijinx Theatre). Television includes; The Silkworm, Book Two the Strike Series (BBC1). Sally Harper in Call the Midwife (BBC1), Pamela Holland in Upstairs Downstairs Series One and Two and Jessica Bain in Peak Practice (ITV). Radio includes: Janine in The Good Samaritan (BBC R3), Resurrection (BBCR4) and Simone/Wondergirl in The Meek (BBC R3).

Penny Layden has appeared at the National Theatre in Macbeth, My Country: A Work in Progress, Another World: Losing Our Children to Islamic State, An Oak Tree, Everyman, Edward II, Table and Timon of Athens and at the RSC in The Tempest, Roberto Zucco and Measure for Measure. Other theatre includes: The Lorax and Cinderella (Old Vic), Bright Phoenix (Liverpool Everyman), Beryl (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Nora (Belgrade, Coventry), 66 Books (Bush), Incoming (Hightide Festival), Lidless (Trafalgar Studios/Hightide Festival/Edinburgh), Vernon God Little and The Art of Random Whistling (Young Vic), The Bacchae, Mary Barton, Electra and Mayhem (Manchester Royal Exchange), Dancing at Lughnasa (Birmingham Rep), The Spanish Tragedy (Arcola), Romeo and Juliet, The Antipodes and Hamlet (Shakespeare's Globe), Comfort Me With Apples (Hampstead Theatre/Tour), Assassins (Sheffield Crucible), Season’s Greetings and Popcorn (Liverpool Playhouse), The Laramie Project (West End), Romeo and Juliet (Southwark Playhouse), The Recruiting Officer (Lichfield Garrick), A Passage to India, The Magic Toyshop and Jane Eyre (Shared Experience), Maid Marian and her Merry Men (Bristol Old Vic), What I Did In The Holidays, The Plough And The Stars, Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Dangerous Corner and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (New Vic, Stoke).

Television includes My Country: A Work in Progress, Grantchester, Dark Angel, EastEnders, Doctors, Prisoner's Wives, Call the Midwife, Land Girls, Sirens, South Riding, Doctors, Silent Witness, Poppy Shakespeare, Bad Mother’s Handbook, Waterloo Road, No Angels, The Bill, Murphy’s Law, Fat Friends, Outlaws, M.I.T and Casualty. Film appearances include Broken and The Libertine, and on radio Penny has appeared in Second Chance, Uganda and Crime and Punishment.

Nicky Priest is an actor and stand-up comedian from Birmingham. He graduated in Drama and Media from Newman University in 2013 and completed the Prince’s Trust Course Get Started With Theatre at the Birmingham REP in 2015.As a stand-up comic he has been mentored by Janice Connolly, aka ‘Barbra Nice’ and will be performing at the Birmingham Town Hall as part of World Inclusion Day in May 2018.
Nicky made his professional acting debut in The Seven Acts of Mercy (The RSC) in 2016. Other theatre credits include: The Twisted Tale Of Hansel and Gretel (Birmingham Hippodrome, The Belgrade Theatre, The Forest Arts Centre, and the Malvern Theatres).
He has been asked by the Prince’s Trust to become a young ambassador, due to the success he has had in his career as a performer via the Get Started With Theatre course.


27 June - 21 July at 7.45pm

Wednesday matinees on 4, 11, 18 July at 2.45pm
Saturday matinees on 7, 14, 21 July at 2.45pm

Captioned performance on Thurs 12 July at 2.45pm
Audio described performance on Sat 23 June at 2.45pm


Ticket prices

Adult: From £10
Concessions: Bush Locals, Senior Citizens, Disabled and Unemployed patrons, and Bush Connect (Students and U26) members will be eligible for concession prices.

Booking:

Phone 020 8743 5050
In person Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road, W12 8LJ
Online bushtheatre.co.uk

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