This podcast season from Ramps on the Moon invites you into honest, challenging, and necessary conversations about disability, ableism, and change. Through personal stories and sector-wide reflection, we’re confronting how ableism shows up in the cultural world, and exploring how we can collectively create spaces that are not only more accessible, but actively anti-ableist.
Here’s a quick view on the latest season!
Episode 9: Zak Ford-Williams – screen and stage actor in Bridgerton (Lord Remington), The Hardacres (Harry Hardacre), Wolfe (Tyler) and The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man (Joseph Merrick).
Zak knew he wanted to act at six years old, after seeing George’s Marvellous Medicine. Though he didn’t initially identify himself as disabled when he was young, he later realised how excluded he was. Stubbornness kept him going – knowing he wasn’t alone. Zak says ‘Many young disabled people dream of creating art but feel there’s no space for them‘.
Episode 10: Amy Trigg – actor, writer and comedian, as well as Olivier Awards Winner in 2024 for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for ‘The Little Big Things’.
Amy talks about how representation has improved greatly on the screen over the last few years – and that she is now auditioning for roles that are not specifically for disabled actors, the only option available to her a few years ago.
Amy talks about her career to date, her writing as a passion of hers, and she gives us her thoughts on bringing more disabled people into ‘the room’ from the creation of productions to manage expectations of budgets to avoid unexpected costs for access.
Episode 11: Mat Fraser – stage and screen actor, writer, drummer, and anti-ableist activist.
Mat is well known for his powerful presence on both stage and screen, and is a patron of Graeae theatre company.
Mat has appeared in acclaimed productions including American Horror Story, His Dark Materials, CripTales, and Barbara Met Alan screen-based credits. Theatre credits include Beauty and the Beast and the first disabled actor to play Richard III in a professional production.
Mat’s work spans theatre, television, and film, often blending bold storytelling with social commentary. Beyond his creative achievements, Mat has broken ground in challenging perceptions of disability in the arts.
Episode 12: Ben Oliver and Penelope Saward from theProduction Exchange – chat about their steps, successes and challenges towards creating an anti-ableist organisation following their year-long journey on the Ramps on the Moon Change Partner programme.
Episode 13: Maximillian Fairley – screen and stage actor talks about his flourishing career and what matters to him to be able to do his best work.
Max talks about his experience in playing a lead role (Harry) in World Premier Village Idiot – A co-production by Theatre Royal Stratford East, Nottingham Playhouse and Ramps on the Moon, and written by Samson Hawkins
Max talks in depth about his integral role playing Marty Baines in in Season 6 of ITV blockbuster Unforgotten
Max also talks about the importance for actors with neurodiversity and disability to included:
Episode 14: Rachel Sharpe – Head of Co-Creation, Creative Learning and Engagement at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
In this powerful conversation Rachel chats about:
- The emotional story of Ukrainian actors collaborating with the RSC on King Lear
- What genuine co-creation looks like in practice
- The ‘risk register’ – a practice which make creativity possible
- Her personal experience of parenting an autistic child — and what the theatre world is getting right (and wrong) for neurodivergent people
This episode is a moving, honest exploration of how the arts can drive societal change when inclusivity and personal experiences are placed at the heart of creative work.