'I'm not broken. I'm a unique spark of life. We all are.'
Jess has a great life: a job she loves, a sharp sense of humour and a close group of friends.
When austerity threatens the world she has worked hard to build, Jess makes a stand to protect those she holds most dear.
Capturing the humour, sadness and joy of everyday life, Francesca Martinez's play All of Us is a passionate and timely look at the human cost of abandoning those who struggle to fit in.
It premiered at the National Theatre, London, in August 2022, in a production directed by Ian Rickson, with an ensemble cast featuring Francesca Martinez in the role of Jess. It was shortlisted for the 2022 George Devine Award.
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'Urgent, funny and intensely moving... this play makes us consider people from every angle... it demands we build a society where we can truly see and value one another. Its insistence on radical empathy shines bright'
" - Guardian"
'Illuminating and rage-filled... alternately entertaining and hard-hitting, with many laugh-out-loud lines... a compelling piece of work, in which a huge and theatrically under-represented sector of the British population takes centre stage'
" - Evening Standard"
'Powerful and poignant... wittily dismantles preconceptions about life with disability... a call to action that fizzes with rage and protest'
" - The Stage"
'Shines a light on the inequality and prejudice that people living with disabilities in our society are facing... the experiences of living with a disability are given great nuance and remarkably intimate detail... breathtakingly poignant'
" - WhatsOnStage"
'Witty and moving, with sparky humour and raw anger'
" - Telegraph"
'Harnesses theatre's unique power to affect the emotions viscerally, to shake the complacency out of us, to upset us and anger us. Martinez's play does that and powerfully so'
" - Broadway World"
'Both gut-wrenchingly serious and hilariously funny... a cry from the heart and a stimulating piece of theatre'
" - British Theatre Guide"
'Immensely moving and emotionally raw... shines a light on the complex, challenging and joy-filled lives of modern disabled people'
" - Culture Whisper"
'Deeply committed and compassionate... gloriously tender and funny'
" - Arts Desk"
'Startling, sparkling, revelatory'
" - Observer