A powerful new play about people with disabilities aims at a 'value battle'

Actor and comedian Francesca Martinez was working behind the scenes at the National Theater to realize her biggest dream. Her scripted debut, All of Us, was about to open with her in the lead role.

"I can't wait to see her own words come true," she said. "To see my play come to life."

That was her March 2020, more than two years ago. Five days later, 50 London theaters, including The National, announced they were closing due to thecoronavirusoutbreak. Martinez's show never even opened.

After about 29 months, the All of Us is finally born. Not only because of the play itself, which chronicles the joys and anguish of a group of friends living through austerity, but also because its opening night bookmarks the pandemic.

Martínez, 44, describes her cerebral palsy as "wobbly," a term she uses to describe it, but the When she first wrote a play about living with a disability, it seemed as bad as it could get. It was leading to what I would call a “disaster”.

Neither of us knew how bad things were going to happen. Shamefully, people with disabilities account for 60% of Covid-related deaths in the UK.

As millions of people in the UK now face the specter of poverty, Martinez finds his play disastrously relevant. “The problem is becoming more pervasive as the country faces a cost of living crisis and energy shortages,” she says. "Though it is terrible to see."

All emotions were reinforced by interruptions. "On a personal level, I was deprived of that experience of theater, so you value it even more," she says. I feel so lucky to be able to.”

Like everything Martinez does, this five-star play is emotionally human, sharply funny, and dangerously authentic. Shining.

It has received many glowing reviews and backlash from right-wing commentators.

One such critic dismissed it as "Conservative scum kills disabled people". Even though Martinez struggled to include government ministers who were brutalized by the system. That said, there are alsoYin Duncan Smithbiting jokes.

She first came to prominence in the school drama Grange Her Hill, but in 2000, after winning her contest at the Edinburgh Festival Open Her Mic, she went on stand-up as her comedian. Her 22-year Martinez career is evident throughout the script. "There is no single detail in a composed play," she says.

"If anything, I avoided the worst examples so as not to be accused of over-dramatising. It's much worse in real life than in play."

First and foremost, Martinez wanted people with disabilities to "know that they had a say in the world." I was going to start a serious conversation. "Most people don't vote for people with disabilities to starve to death at home, so I have to think they shouldn't know about it," she says.

Finally, All of Us is about fighting for the soul of Britain. "This is not just a political battle, it's a battle of values," says Martinez. ``What kind of society do we want to be?

"It's destroying the conditions of life so it doesn't really serve a few people. I want to ask you questions about who you want to be.”

, plays Jess, a psychotherapist trying to get on with her life. Enter Poppy, a rebellious ball of energy played by Francesca Mills.

"We didn't want this play to be patronized or childized," Martinez said. say. “As a disabled person, I wanted to break down the basic preconceptions that we don’t have sex, we don’t date, we aren’t funny, we aren’t disrespectful, we are not swearing. We are all human.

Actor Kevin Healy, Martinez's real-life partner of 16 years , Jess, a PTSD veteran who plays Henry, bears the weight of the play's righteous anger, and Jess has a key line in the piece. we all. "

Martinez cites profits squandered by austerity governments. "I grew up in a country with one of the strongest support networks in the world. I've been fighting for this network since before I was born," she says. "We used to pride ourselves on being world leaders, but now we're heading to a country like America, a gluttonous world that basically has it all to itself.

“Austerity devastated people's lives, and the richest got richer. Such a simple fact is that it was never about money, it was about dismantling social structures.

She laughs at her own seriousness. "Look, I wanted to say something important about the world, because you may never come to play again." It's the only thing she's been saying all along, and I suspect she's wrong. It can be like this,” she says as we head back to rehearsals.

``We should be proud to help each other. Can we use it?"

All of Us runs until September 24th,nationaltheater.org.uk/shows/all-of-us

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