by Jill Harding from the Salisbury Journal:
DESPITE the visions of a seaside clairvoyant, mother-of-six and former school bus driver Sue Shields never dreamed she would become a writer, let alone one whose work is being performed on a London stage.
But Shields’ emotive play Up Down Boy, which tells the story of raising her son Nathan Bessell, who has Down’s syndrome, was so successful after it premiered at Salisbury Playhouse last year that went to the National Theatre, and is now coming back to Salisbury as part of a second nationwide tour.
Up Down Boy emerged from a series of text messages that Shields sent to Heather Williams, who ran the youth drama group Nathan attended.
Her messages, which gave an insight into the trials and joys of bringing up a child with Down’s syndrome, sparked an idea in Williams’ head.
“Sue was witty and quick – the messages might have been about when she was picking Nathan up but they always gave a glimpse of what her life was like and I thought that could work well as a play,” said Williams.
“It had to be something Sue wrote herself as it was her story. But I knew it would appeal to a wider audience and not only people who have a learning disabled child.”
