Housemates: New musical about friends who changed how those with learning disabilities are cared for

• The musical is being shown on stage at the Sherman Theatre in Cathays

A musical about a group of friends who changed the world from their student home is being shown on stage.

They campaigned for people living with learning disabilities to be moved out of old hospitals to be cared for in the community.

It tells the story of Jim Mansell, a student volunteer, and Alan Duncan, a young man born with down's syndrome who lived at Ely Hospital since childhood.

Alan wanted to live in a house and play in a band and together pushed to make that become a reality.

The musical, which is a co-production between Sherman Theatre and Hijinx, is being shown around the corner from the student house.

It is there that Jim came up with the idea of taking patients at Ely Hospital out for a walk to the park.

It shines a light on life in the 1960s, when institutionalised care for many learning disabled people was the norm and went largely unchallenged.

Many of them spent their lives in institutions, rarely seeing or encountering the world outside.

It was in the early 70s that Jim and his friends came up with the new model for the way learning disabled people are supported.

The show's writer, Tim Green, told ITV News Wales that what Jim saw when he went to take people out for walks changed his life.

He said: "It was shocking. People never went outdoors.

"The stink, he wrote later on, the smell of urine, people in more or less pyjamas. People who had no possessions of their own.

"No clothes. Didn't make any choices about their own lives."

Mr Green added: "This young student who couldn't have been more than 19, within two weeks called for the [Ely] hospital to be closed down."

"And of course, the hospital authorities went, who do you think are?"

Speaking about his musical, Mr Green said: " When you see the set, when you see people sort of shambling on, you might think this is the 1818's, it's like the dark ages, a distant history. But it's really not."

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