Intimate relationships between people with disabilities are rarely depicted on stage or screen. What is left behind in that gaping chasm are thousands of lives, each with stories of their own, about how love has touched and shaped them.
Christina Kitromilides and Jeff Lamb are one such couple. They met five years ago in Chorlton through a community drama group, and have been together ever since. Christina has Down syndrome and Jeff is autistic, and they support each other with their disabilities as well as with all of life’s other challenges.
They are chronicling their love in a play aptly called My Darling , which is described as an ‘exploration of emotions, sexual desire, and physical restrictions through movement, live dialogue, and digital footage,’ and will be taking place at Pearl Mill in Stockport on the first weekend of July. The play is a depiction of their relationship during lockdown, which kept them apart due to government restrictions for months at a time.
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“The message is that someone with autism and someone with Down syndrome can have a relationship,” Jeff told the Manchester Evening News .
“It’s about people with learning disabilities, their love for one another, and their respect for one another.”
Drama was the activity that brought the two together - they told the M.E.N it felt special to be able to use it to explore and show off their relationship, especially during their challenging days apart over lockdown.
When they met in 2017, Christina said she thought Jeff was “nice looking” and asked him out on a date.
“I had a crush on him!,” she giggled. “He was kind and a nice person…and he had a sexy body!”
The pair are supported by their sisters Frederica and Sue, who say that despite the challenges of not being able to be physically intimate during lockdown, the couple were brought closer together.
“We made them stick to the rules, and as a result their love for each other has just flourished,” Christina’s sister Frederica said.
Like many other couples, or those simply in search of scratching a certain itch, they also made use of Whatsapp and video calling to stay connected both physically and emotionally during the long lockdown months.
My Darling was produced and rehearsed mostly over Zoom, and incorporates mediums like video calls and sixties music into the show to capture how Christina and Jeff kept their love strong. Among the scenes viewers can expect are re-enacted video calls between the two, and a dream sequence set to ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’.
Christina and Jeff have been working on the show since November 2021, with the help of Emily Potter from Down the Lens and a crowdfunding campaign. They say they’re “excited” to finally show audiences what they’ve been up to.
The couple also hope that the production will help others who have disabilities, or have loved ones with disabilities, to see that everyone is deserving and able to have fulfilling, happy, romantic and sexual relationships.
But while Christina and Jeff’s love has stayed strong over the years, it hasn’t completely avoided comments from those who are ignorant about their love.
“We still get comments now,” Frederica said. “It has improved but we still get comments. It shouldn’t happen really.”
“It’s important to show that people with disabilities can have not just a relationship, but a sexual relationship,” Sue added.
The pair will also host a Q&A about the play during their performance, which they hope will be an opportunity for their audience to air their curiosities and get a deeper understanding of the love they share.
The couple aren’t sure what the future holds for them, but they do know one thing - whatever comes next, they will be doing it together.
“My happiness is with Christina,” said Jeff. “My future is with her and that’s all that matters. Christina is my world. She’s my girl and I am very proud of her.”
My Darling is showing on 2-3 July at The Stage Squad, Pearl Mill, Stockport Road, SK6 2BP. Tickets can be purchased online.
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