Blue Apple’s Tommy Jessop takes new role as a doctor

Tommy Jessop in the role of Prospero in Blue Apple’s 2019 production of The Tempest - Photo by Mike Hall

“We are such stuff as dreams are made on” proclaimed Prospero in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

What prophetic words, spoken by actor Tommy Jessop on stage at The Theatre Royal Winchester in Blue Apple’s 2019 production of The Tempest.

Tommy breathed life into the dreams of many other performers with learning disabilities as he took to the stage at the University of Winchester to receive an honorary doctorate in July 2021.

Tommy is an experienced Shakespearian actor and co-founder of Hampshire based Blue Apple Theatre. The charity seeks to challenge prejudice by creating ambitious opportunities for performers who have learning disabilities and showcasing their talents to the widest possible audience.

Working with Blue Apple, Tommy Jessop became the first actor with Down syndrome to play Hamlet on mainstream stages.  Tommy is now a multi award-winning film and television actor whose first film, Coming Down the Mountain, was BAFTA nominated. He was the first actor with Down syndrome to play the lead in a primetime TV drama, the first professional actor with Down syndrome to play Hamlet and is the first actor with Down syndrome to become a full voting member of BAFTA.

You may recognise Tommy from his dramatic role as Terry Boyle in the recent BBC1 series of Line of Duty where he was nearly drowned.

Blue Apple’s artistic director Richard Conlon said “The whole of Blue Apple Theatre are rightly proud of Tommy for blazing a trail and for opening doors. The company he founded with his mother, Jane, has changed lives by offering up high-quality performance opportunities for people just like Tommy. By telling stories and entertaining audiences locally and further afield, we become part of a bigger, joyful, national conversation about what everyone can do if given the chance.”

Tommy Jessop rehearsing Blue Apple’s 2016 production of Around The World In Eighty Days - Photo by James Yeats-Brown

Tommy receivedan Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Winchester at 8.30pm on 19 July 2021 and made a short memorable speech.

Watch Tommy’s graduation ceremony live here: https://winchester.graduations.live/visitor

Other performers hoping to follow in Tommy’s footsteps and tread the boards can find out more about performance opportunities at Blue Apple by visiting our website www.blueappletheatre.com.

Tel: 01962 827352

Email: admin@blueappletheatre.com