Opening the stage to actors with disabilities

Overcoming stage fright as a teenager has led to an acting career for Lily Edmonds and an opportunity to lead the way.

By Melanie Louden

Lily Edmonds, left, appears on stage in Tim Bray Theatre Company’s 2022 production of Badjelly the Witch. Photo: David Rowland/ One-Image.com

Actress Lily Edmonds says her proudest moment isn’t being on stage or in front of the camera. 

“It’s less about me and more about the movement that I’m part of, which is changing people’s minds about disabled people on screen and stage – authentic representation.

“I really get the proudest about making people understand that disability isn’t just a character trait and that we are all just human at the end of the day.”

“Just because I’m sitting down and you’re standing up, it doesn’t make me any less of a human.”

Lily is a 27-year-old Auckland resident who lives with Cerebral Palsy and is a full-time wheelchair user.

She began acting at Henderson High School, west Auckland, despite being “really nervous” and having stage fright.

Her love of acting grew, so she spent two years at Corelli School of Arts before going to Unitec where she studied a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts – majoring in Acting for Stage and Screen.

It is believed she was the first wheelchair user to go through the program in its more than 30-year history.

Lily, who got her restricted licence last year and drives a modified car, gives a lot of credit to Unitec and the tutors she worked with. 

Lily Edmonds is working to change minds about disabled people being on
screen and stage. Photo: Sasha Stejko for ATC Youth Theatre 2021

“They were very honest when I auditioned, and they said to me ‘this is all new for us. We don’t really know what we’re doing’. They said I’m kind of the guinea pig.

“I don’t think they ever anticipated that they would have someone who is a wheelchair user go through that programme.”

With the support of the tutors, Lily adjusted aspects of the “very physical” degree to suit her.

“I had tutors around me that were really open and communicative about what I needed. I could just go to them and say, ‘I can’t really do that, can I do something else?’ Or, ‘I can’t do that, but I’ll do this’.

“A lot of the time I’d just adapt it to myself, and I won’t even bother to ask anyone because I just do that instinctively in life anyway. I’m a very adaptable person.”

Since leaving Unitec, Lily, who also speaks French, has mostly worked in theatre. 

Her long-term goal is to get into more screen work – from appearing in television and film roles, to working behind the scenes.

She mixes her acting work with small part-time jobs, including being a support tutor with the Glass Ceiling Arts Collective, which offers inclusive performing arts classes in a number of
locations across the country.

Life at a theatre may not be easy for a wheelchair user, but Lily says accessibility is “more than just ramps”.

“It’s a mindset. Over the last two years I have really started to lean into activism, disabled actors and really researching and discovering. 

“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t have disabled actors on stage and on screen, casting people, behind the scenes or in front of the camera. It’s a whole other conversation.”

Centre, and right: Lily Edmonds says there is still a lot to do when it comes to people with disabilities being actors. Photos: David Rowland/One-Image.com

As a result of Lily’s work and lived experience, she has been giving talks about accessible theatre.

“It’s about changing that mindset. It is possible, it is doable. You just need to be adaptable and willing.”

It’s about “allowing people in those spaces, giving them the opportunities”. 

Lily, who enjoys playing the drums and rock climbing, is still getting used to being considered a trailblazer. 

“For a long time, I didn’t want to have to be the trailblazer and I still don’t feel comfortable with that term at all. I don’t like being called that because I don’t feel like I’m doing anything particularly groundbreaking.

“I often feel very overwhelmed and even slightly unqualified to speak about accessibility even though I’ve lived with it my whole life.”

Lily says she has worked hard over the last couple of years to create a path for herself as an actor who uses a wheelchair, and others. 

“There’s still a lot of things to do. But I’m proud of the progress that I’ve made, and that we’ve made as a community, so far.”

This article was originally published in the January to April 2024 edition of The Review magazine.

For more information:
Melanie Louden
Communications Manager
melanie@cpsociety.org.nz
Mobile: 022 087 819