Jellyfish
Bush Theatre, London

THE BUSH theatre’s current season goes from strength to strength. After the visceral intensity of Arinze Kene’s Misty and a timely revival of Winsome Pinnock’s Leave Taking comes Ben Weatherill’s touching Jellyfish.

All three plays are authentic and tender explorations of marginalised working-class communities. But where the first two focus on the Afro-Caribbean diaspora in London, Weatherill takes us to the shores of Skegness to bring society’s stigmas around disabilities to the surface.

It's there that the hardened Agnes (Penny Layden) and her bubbly 28-year-old daughter Kelly (Sarah Gordy), who has Down’s syndrome, have settled into an insular and loving pattern of life which is suddenly upset by the arrival of comic-loving arcade supervisor Neil (Ian Bonar) into Kelly’s universe.

Nothing is quite the same and, as the couple’s relationship rapidly escalates, the raw instincts of Agnes’s life as a single parent and carer begin to show their dark side. Her desire to shield Kelly from the cruelty of the world beyond their walks on the beach and a part-time office job exposes her prejudices and poses sharp questions for the audience about attitudes towards disabilities.

In her desperate attempts to save Kelly from the supposed “predator” Neil, and match her with someone who also has a disability, she invites Dominic (Nicky Priest), who has Asperger’s syndrome, to join them for dinner.

It’s clear that it’s not going to work but, luckily for Kelly, he turns out to be an understanding and unintentionally hilarious person with whom she forms a valuable friendship. And, luckily for the audience, he brings some much needed light relief with a few deadly one-liners which save the mood from sinking into despondency.

Weatherill’s text ripples with humanity and humour, taking you deep into the struggles of these working people’s lives. Matched with four heartfelt performances, particularly from Layden and Gordy, Jellyfish has a real sting in the tale and it leaves you with a lot to ponder as you leave.

Runs until July 21, box office: bushtheatre.co.uk