Actor Rosie enjoying role with brother who has Down’s Syndrome

Actor Rosie enjoying role with brother who has Down’s Syndrome

17 April 2019

COMBER actor Rosie Barry is to star in a new drama which aims to portray people with special needs as endearing and flawed as those who are deemed to be normal.

In Ups and Downs, the 29 year-old plays the younger sister of a man with Down’s Syndrome as they head off to Belfast to go to a music gig without permission.

The play is one of two stand-alone dramas, made as part of BBC Northern Ireland’s pilot New Perspectives initiative, to be shown on Easter Monday night.

Filmed at locations across Belfast and surrounding areas, the one-hour drama is written and directed by Newry-born Eoin Cleland and also stars Susan Lynch, of Killing Eve fame, who plays the mother of Conal, a 22-year-old with Down’s Syndrome, played by newcomer James Martin.

Rosie, who plays his 18 year-old sister, Gemma, said: “I had the time of my life filming with James and the rest of the cast and crew. You have those moments where you have to pinch yourself and ask yourself — is this really happening? 

“It’s such a heart-warming story and it means a lot to me to get the chance to act in this part, as Eoin has created a great and challenging role.”

Rosie is no stranger to acting in ground-breaking productions aimed at tackling stereotypes. She is one the voices in the much-loved Pablo animated series about a five year-old boy with autism.

The multi-talented Rosie is also a singer and performs with vocal harmony group, The Swingtime Starlets. She also played Gretel in The MAC’s production of Hansel and Gretel 

last year.

Her screen brother, James Martin, said of his experience: “Making this film has been good fun, good craic and there’s good music too. Nothing holds me back when it comes to drama and acting, and my character in the film just wants to get his voice heard and that’s important.”

Writer and director Eoin Cleland adds: “I was tired of people with special needs in films being one of two things — a wonderful angel who exists only to give hugs and dispense accidental wisdom, or a terrible burden who is out of focus in the background as Mum cries counting pennies in the living room. 

“My older sister has Down’s Syndrome, so I know it’s not like that. They’re just like everyone else’s sibling. You love them, but they wind you up. 

“I wanted to see someone with learning difficulties on screen who was an actual human being, and write them like I would any other character. Conal has his own goals, his own story, but he also has his own flaws.” 

Ups and Downs is produced for BBC Northern Ireland by Big Fish Films, with support from Northern Ireland Screen.

It will be shown on BBC1 Northern Ireland at 9pm on Easter Monday and available on BBC iPlayer for six months afterwards.