Onwards and Sideways | Disability Awareness Month

Tony Evans is deputy headteacher of a primary school. Emma Dretzin is a musician and composer, and a single mother of two daughters. Neither knows the other, until a startling encounter changes the course of their lives. On the same morning, these two are simultaneously confronted with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. Onwards and Sideways is their story - a friendship which unfolds unexpectedly. A story of humour, courage, music, movement and the transformative power of human connection. Challenging assumptions, the film celebrates the capacity to find joy, freedom and hope, even in life's most difficult moments. A powerful, life-affirming British drama from Academy Award®-nominated Director John Madden (Shakespeare in Love, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Onwards and Sideways stars BAFTA Award-winner Rhys Ifans (Inheritance, House of the Dragon), Academy Award®-nominee Laura Linney (Ozark, Love Actually), Monica Dolan (Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Sherwood), and Rory Kinnear (The Diplomat, The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power). The Torch Theatre is delighted to mark Disability Awareness Month by presenting a film that explores and celebrates the lives, experiences and achievements of people with disabilities. We invite you to join us in promoting understanding and inclusion through the power of film.