It is a breath of fresh air in an area where disabled actors and actresses are totally underrepresented.

It was the first fully inclusive professional theatre in Europe, routinely incorporating disabled actors into its main productions.

It features about 170 mentally disabled actors and extras, including a dozen or so with speaking parts.

"But due to the hypocrisy of financing, this film could never be made with a disabled actor," he said backstage after the awards.

Some disabled actors noted that they are no longer relegated to maudlin or villainous roles.

I'd agree that, other things being equal, a disabled actor may be preferred to a non-disabled one for such a role.

In which case I don't really see why only disabled actors could portray them.

Yes, interesting - and even more interesting, what about having a disabled actor play a non-disabled character?

Recently, she has became an advocate for disabled actors.

Tonge became the first disabled actor in a soap; however, it was something he always played down and his illness was never talked about.