A theatre group is looking for financial support for a new production which aims to raise awareness of GBS—a rare condition that affects one in 100,000 people.
Lincoln Drill Hall’s 33-year-old artistic director Adam Pownall was diagnosed with Guillain Barré Syndrome seven years ago. At the time he was a healthy, fit and active young man. He was forging a career as a performer, producer, project worker and dancer.
“I woke up one morning with what felt like a hangover,” he said, “and my feet were cold. They never warmed up.”
Later he was admitted to the intensive care unit at the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham. He spent six months in hospital and it was more than two years before he could begin a phased return to work.
In 2014, Pownall was nominated for the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Olwen Wymark new writing encouragement award. He recounted his story to the then Guild chair Nick Wood and they decided to tell Adam’s story.
With support from the GAIN charity, which helps people affected by the illness, Getting Better Slowly was awarded Arts Council funding for research and development. As creative producer, Pownall brought in choreographer Marc Brew and director Tilly Branson. Nick Wood was asked to write the piece.
The project will have its première at Lincoln Drill Hall in the autumn before going on a national tour. Dates will be released later.
Tilly Branson said, “it's been really useful to consider how sound and dance can be used to show an audience what it feels like to be in a battle with an illness.”
The team have started a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the project. Further information is available at the Crowdfunder web site.