Back in July, we spoke with Jeanette, who told us all about how she turned enforced bed rest into an opportunity to write her first novel, Rosie’s Bloom, and help her friend Bernie to write a comedy show for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Now the show is done, the audiences have enjoyed a good laugh, and Jeanette is home, recovering.
Break a leg?!
Instead of wishing a performer good luck, you usually tell them to ‘break a leg’, however, Bernie, the main performer at the show, took this a bit literally. Unfortunately, she had a fall a few weeks before the show and broke her femur.
However, the show must go on!
“We did it, we got there, we did it, so well done us” says Jeanette with a laugh.
Putting on a week of performances is tiring for any performer, but doing it while disabled, and with the main performer still recovering from a severe injury, is no small thing.
It wasn’t the easiest week either. Audiences on the last stretch of the Fringe can be hard to find but Bernie and Jeanette held their own. “People talked about how difficult it was to get an audience the last week we were on,” says Jeanette, “but we did get audiences, so we did okay.”
Comedy shows can be notoriously tricky – will people laugh or will the performers be faced with stony silence? Not only did they get the audiences through the door, but they had them in stitches too. “We had one great mother who was laughing hilariously all the way through it. It was brilliant!”
Getting around
It’s never quite as simple as getting from A to B when you’re living with a disability (or recovering from a broken femur!). To help Jeanette with her Edinburgh Fringe adventures, we sent her the NRS Freestyle 3 Wheel Rollator in purple for a bit of extra support. But how did she find using it?
“Smooth, easy to use, and very helpful,” says Jeanette. “Made you feel quite stable – because I am unstable because of my spinal issues … so that did make me feel that I wasn’t gonna fall over.” She also liked the colour. “Quite glamorous looking, the one that you picked.”
Due to her injury, Bernie [pictured] also had a go using the rollator to get around. We’re thrilled that it was helpful to them both!
But that wasn’t the only equipment they needed to use to get around. Jeanette continued to make use of her trusty wheelchair (where possible) and Bernie had her crutches. However, even having the right equipment won't help if the places you're visiting aren't set up as well as they could be.
The show must go on
Accessibility can feel a tricky thing to navigate. Every person with a disability is unique, with their own challenges and adaptations that they need. This can make accessible venues…interesting to navigate.
The venue Jeanette performed in was technically accessible, however, as with all things, it’s the details that count. Often, such details don’t become apparent until they’re stress-tested, which is why certain issues weren't spotted until Jeanette and Bernie arrived. However, while there was definite room for improvement, the people who ran the venue were lovely, very helpful, and had made a good start on the road to true accessibility.
It's a true testament to how fabulous these women are that broken bones and accessibility issues couldn’t stop them from putting on a brilliant show. The comedy, songs and all, all came together in the end.
What’s next?
Jeanette is now taking a well-deserved rest and a little break while she recovers from a setback with her foot. But her next plan is to tackle edits to her book, Rosie’s Bloom. It had been sent out to readers for critical review, so their feedback is now in and waiting for Jeanette to review once she’s on the mend.
Will Bernie and Jeanette be back at the Fringe next year? Perhaps not, however, the experience has given Bernie the confidence to get back into doing comedy spots nearer to home. “You don’t see very many older women doing comedy,” says Jeanette. “So why not?”
Jeanette and Bernie are incredible examples of not letting age or disability stop you achieving goals or dreams. Our thanks to Jeanette for sharing her story with us, we wish her and Bernie all the best for the future.
Got a story you’d like to share?
Get in touch! We’d love to hear how disability aids and equipment have helped you. Email us at editor@completecareshop.co.uk.