Paralysed dancer’s joy at stage role
Nick Phillips, 38, broke his back in a fall from the third floor while at a party more than 14 years ago.
He had all but given up hope of performing again, but Mr Phillips, of Hafod, Swansea, has spoken of his joy after landing a part in a provocative new play.
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Hide AdIn Water I’m Weightless has been billed as the first major production to feature an all-disabled cast and its creator says she hopes its provocative stories will challenge perceptions of what it means to have a disability.
For Mr Phillips it has been a joyous experience.
He said: “For so long after my accident I couldn’t even bear to go and watch a play or performance.
“Just watching theatre or dance triggered too much unhappiness.
“Being a dancer who was paralysed, it felt like being a painter without any paintbrushes.”
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Hide AdPenned by award-winning writer Kaite O’Reilly, In Water I’m Weightless features a series of monologues from disabled characters about their complicated relationships.
It was commissioned for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad Unlimited, which celebrates the diversity of life in Britain.