'Never judge a book by its cover' - Sean Upton reacts to receiving Mayoral Reception
Mayor of Waterford City & County Cllr Seamus Ryan, presenting a scroll to Sean Upton. Photo: Joe Evans
Director David Hennessy, and actors Brenda Giles and Sean Upton were honoured with a Mayoral Reception this week in recognition of their play ‘Up Down Boy’.
Up Down Boy tells the story of Jack, a young man with Down syndrome, as he and his mother Kate, prepare for his move to college.
The show by the David Hennessy Musical and Dramatic Society was performed at St Patrick’s Gateway Centre, and, in December, featured on RTÉ’s Nationwide.
In his speech at the Mayor’s Parlour this week, Sean, who played the role of Jack in the play, thanked the people who made the production possible, and the people of Waterford who supported it.
“I would sincerely like to thank Mayor Ryan for this wonderful occasion and the interest shown for our play Up Down Boy.
"Playing the role of Jack has been a very rewarding experience for me.
"Having the play featured on Nationwide was exciting and shared our journey with the whole country.
“I was very proud to represent people with different abilities on such an important and successful production. As I have said before, you should never judge a book by its cover.
"All of this would not have been possible without our wonderful director David Hennessy and my co-star Brenda Giles.
“I would like to thank everyone who worked backstage and front of house for making Up Down Boy the success that it was, and the late Sue Shields for writing such a wonderful play.
“Finally, I would like to thank the people of Waterford who came to see the play, including many friends and family.”
An extended version of this story is available HERE
