Our Patron

Sarah Gordy MBE

Stage and Screen Actress

Sarah is a wonderful advocate for Circus Starr, sharing our ethos around ability and inclusivity – on her website Sarah puts her professional identity before her disability. “I’m a professional actor, dancer and model. I have Down’s syndrome but that is not all I am.”  Sarah champions the work we do to support disabled, disadvantaged and vulnerable children, pioneering the accessibility of live performance for all audiences. Recently awarded an MBE for services to the arts and people with disabilities, Sarah is best known for some great roles:

• As Katie in season 3 of the BBC’s ‘The A Word’. A show that has been praised for its inclusivity with story lines that focus on characters with Autism and Down Syndrome. 

• As Lady Pamela Holland in BBC’s ‘Upstairs Downstairs’; a role created by screenwriter Heidi Thomas (Call the Midwife, Cranford) to illustrate the 1930s attitudes to disabilities.
• Sarah also starred in an episode in series 3 of Call the Midwife highlighting the treatment of people with physical and learning difficulties in 1950s Britain.
• More recently, Sarah played the role of the Quines’ daughter Dodo in the BBC/HBO 2-part adaptation of Robert Galbraith’s Strike, The Silkworm, prompting a tweet from J K Rowling praising her immense talent.
• She is also a familiar face on CBeebies Bedtime Stories with her readings of ‘We’re Not Sleepy’ and Eric Carle’s ‘The Very Busy Spider’.
• Her other TV roles include Holby City, Doctors, Casualty and Peak Practice. (www.sarahgordy.com)

In her own words: “I am absolutely thrilled and proud to be playing a part in the work that Circus Starr does, bringing so much happiness to so many people. I love their show … every member of the audience just gets swept along by the magic of circus and all you can see is smiles on the faces of everyone around you.”

Neville Wilson, Director of Circus Starr says: “We are very proud to have Sarah as our patron. She is a fresh and wonderful acting talent whose passion shines through every role she plays. Her enthusiasm for Circus Starr’s cause is infectious and she is a wonderful ambassador for our work.”

Sarah Gordy MBE

Stage and Screen Actress

Sarah is a wonderful advocate for Circus Starr, sharing our ethos around ability and inclusivity – on her website Sarah puts her professional identity before her disability. “I’m a professional actor, dancer and model. I have Down’s syndrome but that is not all I am.”  Sarah champions the work we do to support disabled, disadvantaged and vulnerable children, pioneering the accessibility of live performance for all audiences. Recently awarded an MBE for services to the arts and people with disabilities, Sarah is best known for some great roles:

• Most recently she is known for her roles in BBC dramas Ralph & Katie (2022) and The A Word (2020).
• As Lady Pamela Holland in BBC’s ‘Upstairs Downstairs’; a role created by screenwriter Heidi Thomas (Call the Midwife, Cranford) to illustrate the 1930s attitudes to disabilities.
• Sarah also starred in an episode in series 3 of Call the Midwife highlighting the treatment of people with physical and learning difficulties in 1950s Britain.
• Sarah played the role of the Quines’ daughter Dodo in the BBC/HBO 2-part adaptation of Robert Galbraith’s Strike, The Silkworm, prompting a tweet from J K Rowling praising her immense talent.
• She is also a familiar face on CBeebies Bedtime Stories with her readings of ‘We’re Not Sleepy’ and Eric Carle’s ‘The Very Busy Spider’.
• Her other TV roles include Holby City, Doctors, Casualty and Peak Practice. (www.sarahgordy.com)

In her own words: “I am absolutely thrilled and proud to be playing a part in the work that Circus Starr does, bringing so much happiness to so many people. I love their show … every member of the audience just gets swept along by the magic of circus and all you can see is smiles on the faces of everyone around you.”

Neville Wilson, Director of Circus Starr says: “We are very proud to have Sarah as our patron. She is a fresh and wonderful acting talent whose passion shines through every role she plays. Her enthusiasm for Circus Starr’s cause is infectious and she is a wonderful ambassador for our work.”