Getting Better Slowly, the inspiring true story of one man’s two and half year journey to recovery after Guillain-Barré Syndrome paralysed him, will be streamed live on the website of the official charity of the illness Written by Nick Wood | Directed by Tilly Branson | Movement by Marc Brew | Lead artist Adam Pownall LIVE STREAMING: 7pm GMT 26th February from Lincoln Drill Hall on www.gaincharity.org.uk

At the age of 26, in the space of three weeks, Adam Pownall went from being a fit and healthy dancer and performer to a paralysed man unable to blink unaided. Getting Better Slowly is the story of his two and half year battle back to health, from learning to walk and talk again to the movement classes that kept him going to the first time he managed to play football again. The show toured extensively through Autumn 2016, asking audiences how they might deal with an unexpected illness of accident, and will be livestreamed from Lincoln Drill Hall on 26^th February. The show, which has already reached many recovered GBS suffers, will for the first time be able to reach those currently undergoing treatment for the illness. The show is planning tour again in Autumn 2017.

Through speech, movement, sound and verbatim text taken from interviews with Adam and his family, the show follows him from diagnosis to rehabilitation, capturing his highs and lows to create an inspirational piece  about illness and recovery.

The condition, named after Doctors Georges Guillain and Jean Alexandre Barré in which the immune system damages the nerve cells causing muscle weakness and paralysis, has no known cause, though it is thought to be triggered by an infection or virus. It affects one in 100,000 people, and there has recently been an increase in cases in countries that have experienced Zika virus outbreaks.

Following his rehabilitation, Adam returned to work in the arts. In 2014 he won the Olwen Wymark Award for supporting New Writing within Theatre for the Writer’s Guild for his work in opening and running Create Theatre in Mansfield, and he recently become Artistic Director of Lincoln Drill Hall after being Programme Co-ordinator at Derby Theatre. Getting Better Slowly is his first performance role since his illness was diagnosed in 2009. He said, “I regularly support GAIN Charity, I go and visit any current sufferers to offer them my story as a way of hope and positivity to help them in their ordeal, and Getting Better Slowly is part of this venture to create awareness and inspire hope.”

GAIN (Guillain-Barré & Associated Inflammatory Neuropathies) Charity is the official charity for GBS. Director Caroline Morrice said, “The live stream is very important to GAIN as it will allow more people to see this powerful depiction of such a rare illness from wherever they are in the world and to know that GAIN is there to help them.” For more information please visit www.gaincharity.org.uk

Movement director Marc Brew has been working as a dancer, choreographer and director for more than 20 years in the UK and abroad. In 2014 Marc was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Performance (Individual) at the prestigious Isadora Duncan Awards for his solo piece Remember When.

Performance listings information

14 – 26 February 2017

 

14 Feb                                   Lawrence Batley Theatre, Hudderfsfield

                                                Queens Square, Huddersfield, HD1 2WZ

7.45pm | Pay What You Decide

  www.thelbt.org | 01484 430528

 

15 Feb                                   Cast, Doncaster

Cast, Waterdale, Doncaster DN1 3BU

7.45pm | £10.50 (£9 concs)

  www.castindoncaster.com‎ | 01302 303 959

 

17 Feb                                   Harrogate Theatre

Oxford St, Harrogate HG1 1QF

7.45pm | £12

www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk | 01423 502 116

 

18 Feb                                   The Place, Bedford

Bradgate Rd, Bedford MK40 3DE

7.30pm | £12 (£10 concs) www.theplacebedford.org.uk | 01234 354321

 

19 Feb                                   HUB at Slunglow, Leeds

Holbeck Underground Ballroom, 67-71 Bath Road, Holbeck, Leeds LS119UA

26 Feb                                   Lincoln Drill Hall

Freeschool Lane, Lincoln, LN2 1QL

7pm prices TBC

           www.lincolndrillhall.com | 01522 874894