0:00:02 > 0:00:07This programme contains some strong language
0:00:07 > 0:00:09This is the story of an extraordinary group of young actors
0:00:09 > 0:00:12setting out to tackle the world's most famous play.
0:00:17 > 0:00:25To be or not to be - that is the question -
0:00:25 > 0:00:30Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
0:00:30 > 0:00:36the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
0:00:36 > 0:00:40or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
0:00:40 > 0:00:48and by opposing end them?
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Along the way, the play will blur with their real lives, forcing them
0:01:00 > 0:01:06to come of age in a roller coaster ride of romance, rows...
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Shut the ... up, yeah!?
0:01:09 > 0:01:10..and revelations.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I'm just confused, because I don't know what Down's syndrome is.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22And, after intensive rehearsal,
0:01:22 > 0:01:27the actors will set off on tour, to prove themselves before the public.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30I just can't stop my feet shaking!
0:01:30 > 0:01:33They'll be performing in mainstream theatres for the first time.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Can they really pull off Shakespeare's Hamlet?
0:01:46 > 0:01:49This is Tommy, he's 26.
0:01:49 > 0:01:50He's my brother.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55That's me in the mirror.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58I'm filming Tommy and the other actors, both in rehearsal
0:01:58 > 0:02:00and at home.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05And this is Jane, she's our mum.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Tommy was a funny little thing when he was born.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Mum...
0:02:18 > 0:02:23The poor little baby was born tiny and frail and with Down's syndrome.
0:02:24 > 0:02:25I felt like this huge tragedy had happened,
0:02:25 > 0:02:31cos I didn't know then what I know now, so depression for a bit...
0:02:31 > 0:02:35A doctor came to examine him and said he'd do very little, ever.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37He wouldn't write and he wouldn't read,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39and he didn't do any developing for a whole year.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42He just used to sit there and every now and then, with the pains,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44he'd just scream.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47My friend was praying like mad that either God would make him well
0:02:47 > 0:02:51or he'd take him away and he'd go to heaven as a baby.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59The first thing that caused any reaction in him
0:02:59 > 0:03:00was the sound of a bell.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06He loves light and music.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18He told us he wanted to act, so we thought,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22"Oh, yeah, everyone wants to be on the telly - never mind.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26"Let's fix him up with some football, some swimming and get him a job."
0:03:30 > 0:03:32But Tommy surprised us all.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37He became the first actor with Down's syndrome
0:03:37 > 0:03:39to star in a TV drama.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46That was six years ago.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Tommy's now about to take on the ultimate role for any actor.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09The hardest role is Hamlet,
0:04:09 > 0:04:13but someone's got to be Laertes.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- He's Ophelia's brother.- Ah.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17And he has a rivalry with Hamlet
0:04:17 > 0:04:20- and they have a big swordfight at the end.- Oh, wicked.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Yeah, you can say that again.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25- We'll have to see how it goes... - So which one wins?
0:04:26 > 0:04:27Well, they both die.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33- Interesting. - And Claudius dies, as well.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35- OK.- So does Gertrude.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39- She's the queen.- Yeah, I know that.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41So, how does Gertrude die?
0:04:41 > 0:04:43She gets poisoned...
0:04:43 > 0:04:45- by Claudius.- Oh.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48So, if you're Claudius, you do get to get married...
0:04:48 > 0:04:51- OK.- ..but then you poison your wife.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54I see.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57HE LAUGHS
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Tommy belongs to a theatre company in Winchester called Blue Apple.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11It was founded by our mum for actors with learning disabilities.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19These are the actors doing Hamlet.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24They've been performing together for about a year and are good friends.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27But this is, by far, their most ambitious production.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35The worst that could happen is it's a crap show.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Got to ensure that they're not put in a position where
0:05:39 > 0:05:42they really can't cope with it.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Um, this is the script.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49When Tommy first started acting,
0:05:49 > 0:05:53he found it hard to separate the fictional storylines from real life.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56I've also noticed this in other actors with Down's.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Tommy, read Hamlet.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Lawrie, Claudius.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09James, Polonius and Laertes.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Katy, Ophelia.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Hamlet's the first time Blue Apple's done a tragedy -
0:06:18 > 0:06:20I wondered how the group would react to the troubling
0:06:20 > 0:06:24themes of betrayal, anger and death.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27INDISTINCT
0:06:27 > 0:06:31'Forgive me, my foul murder'? That cannot be.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35From the very start, Lawrie seems to confuse the play with his real life.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40I know it's only acting but, I feel
0:06:40 > 0:06:44I have a lot in common with Hamlet,
0:06:44 > 0:06:48because people die around him and people die around me.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Come here. Come and tell me.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58What's up?
0:06:58 > 0:07:03It's just, people always die around me, friends or my family...
0:07:09 > 0:07:12At 19, Lawrie's the youngest of the actors.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16He lives with his mum in the centre of Winchester.
0:07:20 > 0:07:26..and to be in love with a famous actor.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31That's my major dreams.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34And to have a dog.
0:07:34 > 0:07:35And...
0:07:36 > 0:07:41Others I want to be with me in my life,
0:07:41 > 0:07:46because they're with me for ever and never give up with me.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51They seem to hate this man.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55You only have to die.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05I'm just always alone.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07I know my family loves me and I got friends.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11It's still not enough for me.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Lawrie admires Tommy because he's been on TV.
0:08:22 > 0:08:23The two of them will be
0:08:23 > 0:08:26starring together for the first time in Hamlet.
0:08:26 > 0:08:31O wretched state! O bosom black as death!
0:08:31 > 0:08:32Help, angels!
0:08:34 > 0:08:37All may be well.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Now, a villain kills my father.
0:08:50 > 0:08:58And for that, I, do this same villain send
0:08:58 > 0:08:59to heaven.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Ah, that bit. OK.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Hamlet's girlfriend Ophelia is being played by Katy.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09She's the newest member of the group and this is her biggest role so far.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Katy's 22. She lives nearby in a shared flat.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15SHE LAUGHS
0:09:15 > 0:09:17# Hey, I just met you
0:09:17 > 0:09:19# And this is crazy
0:09:19 > 0:09:21# But here's my number
0:09:21 > 0:09:23# So call me, maybe
0:09:23 > 0:09:25# It's hard to look right
0:09:25 > 0:09:27# At you baby
0:09:27 > 0:09:28# But here's my number
0:09:28 > 0:09:31# So call me, maybe
0:09:31 > 0:09:33# Hey, I just met you
0:09:33 > 0:09:35# And this is crazy
0:09:35 > 0:09:37# But here's my number. #
0:09:39 > 0:09:43It soon becomes clear that Katy has a bit of crush on her Hamlet.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47What are you so excited about?
0:09:47 > 0:09:48Ophelia.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51- Why? - Because it's Hamlet's girlfriend.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54And that's Tommy.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01It makes my dreams come true.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05What will it be like, do you think?
0:10:05 > 0:10:08It'll be romantic.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11But he'll be upset at the end, when I drown.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18In the play, Ophelia drowns herself, because Hamlet's cruel to her.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22I wondered if this would affect Katy's feelings for Tommy.
0:10:22 > 0:10:23Are you fair?
0:10:23 > 0:10:26What means Your Lordship?
0:10:26 > 0:10:28I did love you once.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38You should not have believed me - I loved you not.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41To a nunnery - go!
0:10:48 > 0:10:50After two weeks of rehearsal,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Katy decides that she wants to rewrite the script,
0:10:53 > 0:10:57so that rather than dying, Ophelia and Hamlet get married instead.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00They're all going to go dancing and go crazy
0:11:00 > 0:11:04and happy ending in church and get married.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07But Lawrie's now seen the play
0:11:07 > 0:11:10and is determined to stick to the original.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Everyone thinks it should be a happy ending,
0:11:14 > 0:11:20but I think it'll have that happy ending if everyone dies.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25With Katy and Lawrie unable to agree, the group holds a vote
0:11:25 > 0:11:29on who wants to give Shakespeare's most famous tragedy a happy ending.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38KATY: I think I'll speak to Lawrie.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44I don't understand what's got into you, Lawrie.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Just calm yourself down...
0:11:46 > 0:11:49How can I calm myself down if everyone wants a happy ending
0:11:49 > 0:11:51and so do you?
0:11:51 > 0:11:54It's my choice and I choose a sad ending.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58- I'm sorry.- Does that mean I can't come to your house tomorrow, then?
0:11:58 > 0:11:59Of course, you still can.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03Of course you still can.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05But I'm the only one who's doing the play.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07So that means you don't want to be my friend?
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Of course, I want to be your friend,
0:12:10 > 0:12:15but to be honest, Katy, you're taking all of this too personal.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21So that's why I'm persuading you to have a happy ending.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24- We're sticking to the play... - You're not.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29You want it to have a happy ending and at the end goes dancing?
0:12:29 > 0:12:32- Yeah, that's what we do at the end. - Yes, and I don't want to do that.
0:12:32 > 0:12:33I want to stay dead.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35JAMES: It's just a story - that's all it is.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39It's not just a story, it's Shakespeare himself.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41JAMES: Yeah, Shakespeare is very good.
0:12:41 > 0:12:42- James...- You might like it.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46- You're not even helping, so don't even try.- Sorry.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51After a long discussion, Katy offers a compromise.
0:12:52 > 0:12:58If you want to have a happy ending, if that's what makes you happy,
0:12:58 > 0:13:05we can do a bit of dancing in the middle and then die at the end.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08TOMMY: There you go.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09JAMES: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11What about that way round, Lawrie,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13dancing in the middle then dying at the end?
0:13:13 > 0:13:15How about that, since...?
0:13:15 > 0:13:16Well?
0:13:16 > 0:13:19- JAMES LAUGHS - I say, it's the best idea ever.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Best idea ever!
0:13:21 > 0:13:25THEY CHEER
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Away from the theatre, Lawrie's plagued by self doubt.
0:13:45 > 0:13:50I could be a good-looking guy, hot with the girls.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57So far, no-one thinks I look hot or sexy.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15To inspire the actors, Jane's taking them
0:14:15 > 0:14:17to visit a very special theatre.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24- Do you know who Dr Langdon Down was?- No.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Well, he lived in Queen Victoria's time,
0:14:27 > 0:14:31and he was the first person to talk about Down's syndrome.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33And he understood that people with Down's syndrome
0:14:33 > 0:14:35love to be on stage
0:14:35 > 0:14:39and so he built a special theatre called the Normansfield Theatre.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43Do you know who that is?
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Do you know what these photos are?
0:14:46 > 0:14:47Children.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Anything special about those children?
0:14:50 > 0:14:51They have Down's syndrome.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56How does that make you feel?
0:14:59 > 0:15:01Uncomfortable, strange...
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Some of their faces has my face.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29When Tommy and I first spoke about Down's syndrome,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Tommy was roughly the same age that Lawrie is now.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38So how does it feel having Down's Syndrome?
0:15:40 > 0:15:41Um...
0:15:43 > 0:15:47I reckon that having Down's syndrome
0:15:47 > 0:15:52is just like any other people in the world.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Really.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Except that it doesn't make any difference.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Just think about life the way it is.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Yeah.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16How does it feel for you?
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Um...
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Feels always strange
0:16:21 > 0:16:25because I always felt like I always had a problem in my life.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Oh, right.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29I always felt there's a problem,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31and just because people say it,
0:16:31 > 0:16:36it just makes it sound like it isn't a problem any more for me.
0:16:36 > 0:16:37Oh, that's good.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40MUSIC: "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga
0:16:40 > 0:16:46# Just put your paws up cos you were born this way, baby
0:16:48 > 0:16:50# I was born this way
0:16:50 > 0:16:52# I was just born this way
0:16:52 > 0:16:54# I'm on the right track, baby
0:16:54 > 0:16:56# I was born this way
0:16:56 > 0:16:58# This is my life
0:16:58 > 0:17:00# It's the way I want to live
0:17:00 > 0:17:02# I'm on the right track, baby
0:17:02 > 0:17:05# I was born this way. #
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Not all the company have Down's syndrome.
0:17:12 > 0:17:1432-year-old James is still waiting for
0:17:14 > 0:17:17a formal diagnosis of his learning disability.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Good morning.
0:17:23 > 0:17:30I'm a bit late because I went to the police station yesterday
0:17:30 > 0:17:36and about I've been harassing neighbours, or something.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38And then they were saying that I've got Asp...
0:17:38 > 0:17:41I don't what you call it - Asper-sis, or something.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Asperger's?
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Aper-sis, or whatever - they think I've got or something.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49HE CLEARS HIS THROAT
0:17:51 > 0:17:57Oi, there, the v-king give me my father!
0:17:57 > 0:18:00O thou vile king, Give me my father!
0:18:00 > 0:18:01HE LAUGHS
0:18:01 > 0:18:04James, you're supposed to be angry, not laughing!
0:18:04 > 0:18:06- Come on. - HE LAUGHS
0:18:06 > 0:18:09James! Please.
0:18:09 > 0:18:15Shakespeare does not like people without no lines.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Shakespeare likes lines, doesn't he?
0:18:18 > 0:18:22He'll be watching us somewhere - of course he will be.
0:18:22 > 0:18:23- Shakespeare?- Yeah.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25And what do you think he's thinking?
0:18:25 > 0:18:27He's thinking...
0:18:27 > 0:18:30"Is he going to get this, or what?
0:18:30 > 0:18:33"Is this lad going to get this?"
0:18:33 > 0:18:35That's what Shakespeare's thinking?
0:18:35 > 0:18:39He'll be thinking, "Is he going to get this, this idiot?"
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Sweet...Op...Opera.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46- LAWRIE WHISPERS:- Ophelia.
0:18:46 > 0:18:47Ophelia.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51What has happened to you?
0:18:51 > 0:18:57# They bore him barefaced on the bier -
0:18:57 > 0:19:04# God ha' mercy on his soul! #
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Do you see this, God?
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Oh, God! HE LAUGHS
0:19:11 > 0:19:16James, please, let me talk, OK? Please.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Stop laughing - stop having the giggles, cos I'm trying to...
0:19:20 > 0:19:22I'm sorry.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24James, please, I will lose my temper.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Fine, go on.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31Look, there's a play, I'm eager to make it perfect, all right?
0:19:31 > 0:19:34If we don't focus, how we going to know our lines,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37how we going to play them?
0:19:37 > 0:19:39I think fun will come last.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43I'm going to say, "Guys, Hamlet - no-one else."
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Lunch and Hamlet - that's it.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Yeah, that's it - lunch and Hamlet'd be fine.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52And anyway, I'm not doing anything next Sunday
0:19:52 > 0:19:55if you want me to come over.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Hello.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Katy and Lawrie have known each other since school,
0:20:01 > 0:20:02they used to go out.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05# This is just a little samba
0:20:07 > 0:20:10# With all the typical drama
0:20:12 > 0:20:17# Feel the rhythm of the conga... #
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Do you thinking you're ready to have another boyfriend, then?
0:20:19 > 0:20:21I think I'll be ready.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23And you don't think it'll be Lawrie, though?
0:20:23 > 0:20:26No, not Lawrie.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30I need somebody to trust and care for and someone who's handsome.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33To have a handsome part's me.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38I do care for Lawrie, it's just he's not my type.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40I just want him as a friend.
0:20:40 > 0:20:41I agree.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46To be honest, Katy, you're not even my type, either.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47I'm eager only to be friends.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51What kind of girl do you think Lawrie should go for?
0:20:51 > 0:20:55Um, well, at the moment, he was going to go out with Amy,
0:20:55 > 0:20:59but now they split up again.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03I don't know, really, I think it's best if Lawrie is single.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05I'm not eager to be single.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08I'm still eager to have someone, but...
0:21:08 > 0:21:09We can always find you someone.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12..not a girlfriend.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29I don't understand about there's two boys. That's gay.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31I know that.
0:21:35 > 0:21:42Because I've always wanted a girl, but it seems I never get one
0:21:42 > 0:21:47because they always mean trouble, upset me and dis' me.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52INDISTINCT
0:21:56 > 0:21:59TOMMY: I think he probably wants me to be his boyfriend,
0:21:59 > 0:22:06which I don't want to be, really, because I'm not really that...gay.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Tommy's never had a proper girlfriend,
0:22:11 > 0:22:13but he's got his eye on someone.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20I think I'm probably nervous about asking people out.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Really.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29When Katy gets upset during a discussion about dreams,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33Tommy makes his move.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36This is hard and it makes me scared.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41All I think of is dying... and I have bad dreams
0:22:41 > 0:22:43that we go to heaven and stuff.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47I dream the most about...you.
0:22:51 > 0:22:52- Me?- You.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57- JAMES:- Oh, come on, you two!
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Tommy calls Katy to ask her out.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11- How about Tuesday?- 'Tuesday?'
0:23:11 > 0:23:14- Yeah, at half three?- 'What time?'
0:23:16 > 0:23:19- About half three.- 'Half three?'
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Yeah.
0:23:22 > 0:23:23'That would be fine...'
0:23:23 > 0:23:24INDISTINCT
0:23:26 > 0:23:28- 'Bye.'- Bye.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Nice and sweet!
0:23:34 > 0:23:37They arrange to get together on Valentine's Day.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56Good-looking, sexy boyfriend, George Clooney.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40# It tortures me to know you're with Katy
0:24:40 > 0:24:43# I really wanted you in my heart
0:24:43 > 0:24:46# Can you ever think of me for once
0:24:46 > 0:24:47# Instead of dreaming about girls?
0:24:47 > 0:24:50# I'll be your friend
0:24:50 > 0:24:53# Each time I tell myself I'm not in love with you
0:24:53 > 0:24:55# But each time, I always think I am
0:24:55 > 0:24:57# I'm jealous. #
0:25:00 > 0:25:02KATY: So his mind is in the tress.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Cos the trees are listening.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11- Two grapes left.- Yeah.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21There you go. Finished.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24- You all right?- Yeah.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31- I just like...- Yeah.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33me and you together.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15It's just fantastic - everything around you's fantastic.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17You're so happy.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Um, what makes you feel good?
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Um, kissing.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29- Kissing?- Yeah.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39I love my Hamlet!
0:26:50 > 0:26:54SHE LAUGHS Oh, baby!
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Although things are going well with Tommy,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Katy's worried about playing Ophelia.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09At the moment, I don't look beautiful.
0:27:11 > 0:27:16I'm going to get my face back to normal.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18How it was, otherwise I'm not going to be...
0:27:18 > 0:27:24Otherwise my face won't be nice for Ophelia.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28Cos Ophelia is...
0:27:28 > 0:27:30is fair.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35And as rehearsals continue,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39director Peter is facing some particular challenges.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41We're a bit behind.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43There's a lovely thing happened
0:27:43 > 0:27:47and there's some things which are pulling things back, so...
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Six weeks in, James is still struggling to learn his lines.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59I'm getting a wee bit worried, James, a little bit worried.
0:28:01 > 0:28:06I do remember some, it's just getting the place, isn't it?
0:28:06 > 0:28:09- Yeah.- Forgot my bloody lines now.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12It's cos he looks so serious, yeah, OK, fine.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19INDISTINCT
0:28:23 > 0:28:27I think it's pressure. It's these things giving me pressure now.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31There's a little bit of pressure in the air now...with this,
0:28:31 > 0:28:33and I don't like it. I don't know what it is.
0:28:37 > 0:28:38Um...
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Be-Be you and I...and I...
0:28:44 > 0:28:46JAMES MUMBLES
0:28:49 > 0:28:52PETER AND JAMES TALK OVER EACH OTHER
0:28:52 > 0:28:53I know but it's pissing...
0:28:53 > 0:28:55PETER: He's trying to help you.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57You and I behind...
0:28:57 > 0:28:59You and I, and I behind...
0:28:59 > 0:29:00..and arras...
0:29:00 > 0:29:02..and arras then.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04We will try it.
0:29:04 > 0:29:05Hamlet!
0:29:05 > 0:29:07You shut the...
0:29:09 > 0:29:11James, take them off to hide.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13OK, let's go.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16Fuck's sake!
0:29:16 > 0:29:19I'm getting a bit pissed off, I really am.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27I'm not very happy with this, it's pissing me off.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29I'm getting upset.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32I don't know why I'm not getting my lines - I don't know what it is.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35- Come and sit down. - I don't understand what it is!
0:29:35 > 0:29:37Yeah, yeah, OK. I'll have a chat in a sec.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39- Just come and sit.- Pissing me off.
0:29:42 > 0:29:47He thinks I'm annoyed with him, just because he gets it wrong.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51- Are you?- No.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55Of course not, I'm just trying to help.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59James becomes more and more frustrated.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03Shut the fuck up, yeah? I'm fucking well...
0:30:03 > 0:30:05James, James, James.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07James.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09You've got to be quiet, James.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11- James.- See you in a bit.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13Lawrie, you're going to be all right.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16I'm going to sort James out and then I'm going to come and sort you out.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18Thanks, yeah.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20You're probably going to ask me if I've got a solution -
0:30:20 > 0:30:23I haven't got a solution, at the moment.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Just keep working at it.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Obviously, it takes time.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34At the moment, I'm hoping that some way or another,
0:30:34 > 0:30:40there will be a moment of great lightness and things will turn round.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47Tommy decides James need a break from it all.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49TOMMY: 'I know that we haven't got much time,
0:30:49 > 0:30:53'and I actually feel kind of sorry for James, really.'
0:30:55 > 0:31:00Do you see yonder cloud that's almost in the shape of a camel?
0:31:02 > 0:31:08By the moon, it is like a camel, isn't it?
0:31:08 > 0:31:10It's just...
0:31:10 > 0:31:14- HE GROANS - Oh, no!
0:31:15 > 0:31:17Anyway, it's just lines.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20- Like a...- Very.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23Very like... Very...
0:31:23 > 0:31:26- Like.- ..like a whale.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31- Oh, man.- I am getting this.- Yeah.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34I think I've got it, it's just putting it in place now.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36Yeah. Putting the words in the right place.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38- Yeah, that's what it is.- Yeah.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40- Got the words...- Yeah.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Just got to put them in the right order.
0:31:43 > 0:31:44Yeah.
0:31:51 > 0:31:56O, my offence is rank it smells to heaven...
0:31:56 > 0:32:00A brother's murder. Pray can I not...
0:32:00 > 0:32:03My fault is past. But, O, what form of prayer
0:32:03 > 0:32:04Can serve my turn?
0:32:04 > 0:32:09"Forgive me my foul murder"?
0:32:09 > 0:32:11That cannot be.
0:32:11 > 0:32:16O wretched state! O bosom black as death!
0:32:18 > 0:32:20Help, angels!
0:32:21 > 0:32:23And all may be well.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42As the weeks pass, Tommy and Katy's relationship continues to blossom.
0:32:45 > 0:32:50# You and I did love, did love
0:32:50 > 0:32:55# We thought it was very sweet. #
0:33:01 > 0:33:06But they've now reached the scene where Hamlet's cruel to Ophelia.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08Get thee to a nunnery!
0:33:08 > 0:33:10I say, no more marriages.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14Get thee to a nunnery, go - farewell.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20Katy's finding it hard to understand that Tommy's just acting.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26She begins to question his feelings towards her in real life.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29- Do you really love me?- Huh, man!
0:33:29 > 0:33:31Come on, how much do you love me?
0:33:32 > 0:33:35Come on, how is our love going on here?
0:33:36 > 0:33:41I mean, tell me how much you love me.
0:33:41 > 0:33:42Like...
0:33:42 > 0:33:48- I love you loads and loads - that sort of thing.- Yeah.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50Well, I actually do love you loads and loads.
0:33:52 > 0:33:57Well, instead of saying that, how much?
0:33:58 > 0:34:00How much?
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Tommy starts to worry about the effect of the play on Katy.
0:34:05 > 0:34:10I don't want to hurt Katy with all the things that I'm saying.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12- What, as Hamlet?- Yeah.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15What kind of things?
0:34:15 > 0:34:18Like, "Get thee to a n-n-nunnery!"
0:34:18 > 0:34:23Cos that scene isn't real, it's pretend.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36And I thought Tommy was going to say
0:34:36 > 0:34:38something to upset me, or something.
0:34:40 > 0:34:41Cheers.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Just remember, it's not real. All right?
0:34:48 > 0:34:49It's not real.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53Yeah, all right.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01And Katy isn't the only one confusing the play with real life.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04Lawrie's been wrestling with the guilt
0:35:04 > 0:35:06of his evil character Claudius.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10Two weeks before the tour, he proposes a radical new ending.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17I want Claudius to get away with everything,
0:35:17 > 0:35:19but, no, he has to be found out in the end.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21He has to get killed.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26But the others are now set on the original ending.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30- JAMES:- If that's what a play is...
0:35:30 > 0:35:32then that's what a play is.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34- Also...- Follow the play's rules.
0:35:34 > 0:35:35..the play is Hamlet
0:35:35 > 0:35:41and Lawrie can't have his own way to mix it all up again,
0:35:41 > 0:35:44otherwise it'll get confusing.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47It can't be Claudius, cos that's not a play.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50- It's called Hamlet. - Cos it's all about Hamlet.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53- Yeah, it's all about you. - Yeah.- You're...
0:35:53 > 0:35:56Cos I was to play the main part in Hamlet.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59And who does the other Hamlet?
0:35:59 > 0:36:01- My baby.- Me.- Yeah.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04What are you going on say to Lawrie about it then?
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Sit down and talk, yeah?
0:36:07 > 0:36:10INDISTINCT
0:36:12 > 0:36:17Why don't you go to hell? Go to hell!
0:36:17 > 0:36:21I'd rather be in heaven than... Hamlet never been to heaven...
0:36:21 > 0:36:24Goes to heaven. I want to go to heaven.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27GIRL: Hey, that's not fair - I don't want to go to hell.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29It's just...
0:36:33 > 0:36:35I don't want that, it scares me so much.
0:36:39 > 0:36:40Just hug me.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43- Hug me.- You'll be all right.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45All I need is for us to have a hug, Katy.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51With rehearsals increasingly fraught, Jane discovers that
0:36:51 > 0:36:54there are problems outside the theatre as well.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57Good morning, this is Jane Jessop from Blue Apple Theatre...
0:36:57 > 0:37:00Hamlet with Down's syndrome is proving a tough sell.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03I'm just wondering how ticket sales are going,
0:37:03 > 0:37:04do we do any last-minute marketing?
0:37:06 > 0:37:07Oh, dear!
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Oh, my goodness, that's terrible, isn't it?
0:37:10 > 0:37:13What the worry is that if we don't sell enough seats,
0:37:13 > 0:37:17the theatres won't want us back and then, you know, that's the end of it.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23So she sets off on a mission to boost ticket sales.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29Hamlet will be played by an actor with Down's syndrome,
0:37:29 > 0:37:32speaking Shakespeare's language.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34And he will play on big stages,
0:37:34 > 0:37:37including an 800-seater at Kingston - tickets are on sale now actually.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39- Are they? - So this is really exciting.
0:37:44 > 0:37:45With the tour looming,
0:37:45 > 0:37:49it's now Tommy who's starting to feel the pressure.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53All the people that's coming to watch Hamlet will probably want me
0:37:53 > 0:37:56to put on a really good performance.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59I think that probably makes me a bit nervous
0:37:59 > 0:38:03of me letting down the whole play, really.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06I probably need to focus more.
0:38:06 > 0:38:13I need to stop fiddling with my boot, probably need to be more energetic.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16I think I probably do need to smile more at Katy.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28Tommy, things like when Anna's going on at you, that, "Mother!"
0:38:28 > 0:38:33- Mother!- It's got to be a lot quicker. - Yeah.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37And you've got to stop, you've got to stop stuttering on your lines.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41HE STUTTERS
0:38:45 > 0:38:46I'm...
0:38:58 > 0:39:01HE STUTTERS
0:39:05 > 0:39:07Try and concentrate.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Yeah?
0:39:09 > 0:39:11Because you can do it, I know you can do it.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Yeah.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27'In a way, I'm like Hamlet,
0:39:27 > 0:39:33'cos I know what he feels like with all the frustration and stress.'
0:39:35 > 0:39:41'If I mess it up, then I think the whole play will be a travesty.'
0:39:46 > 0:39:48Today's the dress rehearsal,
0:39:48 > 0:39:53it's the last chance for the actors to get it right before the tour.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55PETER: Can we go from...?
0:39:57 > 0:39:59Katy?
0:39:59 > 0:40:01Katy's struggle to separate fact
0:40:01 > 0:40:04and fiction seems to be coming to a head.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13He's got his own mind in himself.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27To a nunnery!
0:40:45 > 0:40:47Mother!
0:40:51 > 0:40:54The dress rehearsal hasn't gone well.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57It needs a lot more drive, a lot more energy from everybody,
0:40:57 > 0:40:59especially you, Tommy.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01Especially you.
0:41:01 > 0:41:06Right from the off, you've got to really give it everything.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10How many props do you have, Tommy?
0:41:10 > 0:41:11- Not many.- No.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13How many did you remember?
0:41:14 > 0:41:17None. You've got two, you had neither.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24When I was on the stage, um...
0:41:25 > 0:41:29..I was actually still thinking about what Katy had said.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34It's just my head.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38It's just my head messing things up, that's all.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40What was she saying?
0:41:44 > 0:41:47So what did you say to Tommy just before he went on stage?
0:41:47 > 0:41:48I hate Tommy.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51That's what I said.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55I don't why I said that - just to upset him.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00As Katy and Tommy's relationship starts to unravel,
0:42:00 > 0:42:03they meet up to talk things through.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09- What's the matter?- Um, nothing.
0:42:09 > 0:42:10- Are you sure?- Mm-hm.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Doesn't seem like you love me.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17Tell me, Tommy.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29- I actually do love you.- Pardon?
0:42:31 > 0:42:33I actually do love you.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35- You do?- Mm-hm.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39Well, why you not giving me a cuddle then?
0:42:40 > 0:42:41Or anything?
0:42:48 > 0:42:50I don't want to feel lonely.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53Yeah.
0:43:00 > 0:43:01I still love you.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05Sorry about Monday, did I upset you?
0:43:05 > 0:43:06Um...
0:43:07 > 0:43:10- I think I did.- Yeah, probably.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21Well, it was fun.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08It's become impossible for Tommy
0:44:08 > 0:44:12and Katy to keep their relationship separate from their acting,
0:44:12 > 0:44:15so they decide to split up until after the tour.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18I think the relationship has to end.
0:44:20 > 0:44:25And it's good for me to be single again, cos I need to be single
0:44:25 > 0:44:30because I'll be free...and not worry about being Ophelia at the moment.
0:44:38 > 0:44:45Sometimes, love can be kind and sometimes love can be cruel.
0:44:46 > 0:44:53Like Ophelia's lines, "I must be cruel, only to be kind."
0:44:55 > 0:44:58Ay, lady, 'twas my word.
0:44:58 > 0:45:03Peace! Sit you down, And let me wring your heart.
0:45:04 > 0:45:05Such an act
0:45:05 > 0:45:09That blurs the grace and blush of modesty...
0:45:11 > 0:45:16Honeying and making love Over the nasty sty,
0:45:16 > 0:45:18A murderer and a villain...
0:45:20 > 0:45:22- SHOUTS:- For my mother!
0:45:31 > 0:45:33Who were you shouting that at?
0:45:35 > 0:45:36Probably Katy, mostly.
0:45:39 > 0:45:40Yeah.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43I actually felt pretty good about doing it.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52Today's the opening night of Blue Apple's Hamlet.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56The venue's a local school.
0:45:59 > 0:46:00The mood is tense.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04Really scary.
0:46:06 > 0:46:07Oh, my God.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14Where is my...?
0:46:15 > 0:46:17Let me...
0:46:18 > 0:46:21Where is my father?
0:46:22 > 0:46:25APPLAUSE
0:46:25 > 0:46:27- You all right?- I'm upset.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30You did really well, James.
0:46:30 > 0:46:31I'm still getting annoyed.
0:46:37 > 0:46:41There's no time for any more rehearsals.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48The production's booked to play at 14 different venues.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50Soon, the tour's in full swing.
0:46:52 > 0:46:57Audience numbers are pretty good and the show's well-received.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06After five nights, it's starting to come together.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12The actors are now heading to Cornwall,
0:47:12 > 0:47:15it's the first time they've been away from home as a group.
0:47:15 > 0:47:20MUSIC: "Horny As A Dandy" by Mousse T vs The Dandy Warhols
0:47:23 > 0:47:26# I searched from town to town but I can't find my boo-ooh-ooh
0:47:26 > 0:47:30# I got so desperate that I sent a rocket to the moon
0:47:30 > 0:47:34# I sent a message through the internet but it rejected
0:47:34 > 0:47:38# I wrote a letter and I sent it with the po-o-ost
0:47:38 > 0:47:41# The post it takes so long, so I've got to sing this song
0:47:41 > 0:47:45# To let you know how I feel, what's the deal, baby
0:47:45 > 0:47:48# And I can't wait for you, and the things you make me do
0:47:48 > 0:47:52# My heart is ringing so I'm singing this song for you
0:47:52 > 0:47:56# And I like you, yeah, I like you
0:47:56 > 0:48:00# And I like you, I like you, I like you,
0:48:00 > 0:48:04# I like you, I like you, I like you, I like you
0:48:04 > 0:48:07# And I feel whoa-ho, whoo!
0:48:09 > 0:48:11# Ooh-ooh-ooh... #
0:48:14 > 0:48:17This is the best day of my life with Tommy.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26They're staying at a local youth hostel.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28Tommy and Lawrie are sharing a room.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30..In here.
0:48:30 > 0:48:35In there and all the way to the end.
0:48:35 > 0:48:36Yeah, all right.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42INDISTINCT CHATTER
0:49:07 > 0:49:09I don't know.
0:49:09 > 0:49:15I've always been in love with Tommy, ever since I first met him
0:49:15 > 0:49:17in the Blue Apple.
0:49:17 > 0:49:22And we've been in roles, him and me, and I'm so close to him
0:49:22 > 0:49:25and I care for him.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28Would you ever go out with Lawrie?
0:49:28 > 0:49:30Not in a million years.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33There's...
0:49:33 > 0:49:34No offence...
0:49:36 > 0:49:41No offence, but I think of you as a friend, but not in that way.
0:49:44 > 0:49:46Yeah.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49What about what Tommy says about your feelings for him?
0:49:50 > 0:49:52Hurtful.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58I see Lawrie as a really good friend...
0:49:59 > 0:50:01..I reckon.
0:50:01 > 0:50:08Because we both know how each other's feeling.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12Will being friends be enough for you?
0:50:14 > 0:50:15No.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39The Rose Theatre, London.
0:50:39 > 0:50:44It's the last night of the tour and the grandest stage by far.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46There's a real buzz in the air.
0:50:46 > 0:50:51This is the culmination of months and months of hard work.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54So, CAN a group of actors with Down's pull off Hamlet?
0:50:56 > 0:50:58I just can't stop my feet shaking.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00I just can't stop my feet.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05Can Lawrie conquer his nerves?
0:51:06 > 0:51:08Will James remember his lines?
0:51:10 > 0:51:13And can Tommy find his voice?
0:51:13 > 0:51:15CROWD CHATTERS
0:51:59 > 0:52:02Welcome, friends.
0:52:02 > 0:52:04I am Hamlet the Dane.
0:52:05 > 0:52:13# To be or not to be. #
0:52:15 > 0:52:17APPLAUSE
0:52:22 > 0:52:26My Lord, the Queen must speak to you.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29Do you see yonder cloud,
0:52:29 > 0:52:35that's almost of a shape of a camel?
0:52:35 > 0:52:38By the moon! It does look like a camel.
0:52:40 > 0:52:45Methinks it is like a weasel.
0:52:45 > 0:52:46A bit like a weasel.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51Or like a whale?
0:52:51 > 0:52:53Very like a whale.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57He's far gone, far gone.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00LAUGHTER
0:53:08 > 0:53:12O, my offence is rank it smells to heaven -
0:53:12 > 0:53:16O wretched state! O bosom black as death!
0:53:16 > 0:53:18Help, angels!
0:53:18 > 0:53:22Bow, stubborn knees - and all may be well.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31MELANCHOLIC SINGING
0:54:10 > 0:54:13I pray you all,
0:54:13 > 0:54:19that whatsoever else shall hap' tonight...
0:54:21 > 0:54:25..you look through our sad performance
0:54:25 > 0:54:30and see that we,
0:54:30 > 0:54:33fools of nature,
0:54:33 > 0:54:37are wondrous too.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40Easy, Hamlet.
0:54:40 > 0:54:44No more, no more - the king, the king's to blame.
0:54:44 > 0:54:50Murderous, incestuous, damned Dane!
0:54:50 > 0:54:53Follow my mother!
0:54:57 > 0:54:59Why?
0:55:03 > 0:55:05CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:55:18 > 0:55:23# I feel so alive, mmm
0:55:23 > 0:55:26# Oh, I feel so alive... #
0:55:28 > 0:55:30HE CHEERS
0:55:30 > 0:55:33LOUD CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:55:44 > 0:55:46I went three times!
0:55:50 > 0:55:56# Oh, I feel so alive... #
0:55:57 > 0:55:59I'm just gobsmacked how amazing it was.
0:56:02 > 0:56:05I thought it was stunning.
0:56:05 > 0:56:07Absolutely fantastic production.
0:56:09 > 0:56:12I never believed I'd really understand Shakespeare.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15What's so good about acting is,
0:56:15 > 0:56:19it's gives yourself an explosion of feelings.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24We're famous...and I can't believe it for my life.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27HE LAUGHS
0:56:27 > 0:56:30My nan didn't like it, she thought it was a bit boring.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47# Oh, I feel so alive
0:56:50 > 0:56:53# Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
0:56:53 > 0:56:56# Oh, I'm not going to lose
0:56:56 > 0:56:58# I feel so alive. #