A soap actress has called for more awareness of 'invisible disability' after she and her son both suffered panic attacks during a trip to the cinema.
Natasha Naomi Rea, 32, took her 10-year-old son Lucky Luciano to Vue cinema at Manchester's Printworks. The pair were taken ill as they were challenged over an ID issue.
Natasha, who has appeared in shows including Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Doctors and Ashes to Ashes, booked and paid for tickets online for The Suicide Squad, which is rated 15.
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She says they were asked for ID when collecting the tickets, but they were handed over by the box office after explaining they didn't have proof of age.
Natasha was then told by another member of staff her and her son couldn't see the film as they didn't have ID.
Vue bosses highlighted that children under 15 cannot see films with a 15 certificate. They added that staff are required by law to ask for identification when a person's age is in question.
Naomi, who lives with anxiety and bipolar disorder which causes extreme moods that can swing from elation to crushing depressive lows, says as they made their way to the screening they were challenged by a member of staff who treated them 'rudely'.
Naomi says she began hyperventilating and the anxiety triggered her son into having a hand tremor.
She explained: "They gave us the tickets and we went upstairs and when we went to walk through he blocked us.
"He asked for ID and I said they had given me the tickets.
"Then Luciano's hand tremor started and I started with my anxiety.
"I was hyperventilating and he couldn't stop the tremor in his hand.
"He started going on about us not having a mask and I said I didn't need to wear one.
"I was upset by the rudeness of them. He kept blocking us."
Natasha says she was in 'a blur' as the cinema gave her a refund and they left the venue.
She complained afterwards in a tweet to Vue Cinemas: "Service from @vuecinemas Manchester was just disgusting!
"Causing myself and Luciano to have a panic attack, you need to learn how to treat people with invisible illness!
"Will not be coming back!"
She says Luciano had seen 15 rated films previously at the same cinema with her and has an 'older head on his shoulders'.
Determined to treat her film fanatic son, who loves the Suicide Squad superhero franchise, and wanting make up for him missing the cinema experience she took Luciano ten pin bowling instead.
"They were lovely with us," she said.
"I think places need much better customer service towards people who might have an invisible illness.
"I think there should be places on the train, in restaurants and in the cinema where you can go when you need to be on your own.
"I can't have people in my space."
Natasha's experience happened on the same day she saw ITV's new TV ad to highlight 'invisible disabilities' as part of its 'commitment to help create culture change around disability perception and representation.'
The new campaign featuring famous faces illustrates that 'just because you cannot see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there.'
Developed in partnership with the disability charity Scope the ad features Chase star Paul Sinha, author and TV personality Katie Piper, actress and Loose Woman Kelle Bryan and Real Housewives of Cheshire star Tanya Bardsley.
Natasha penned a book about living with bipolar disorder, 'Me, Myself and Bipolar Brenda', which inspired a campaign backed by a host of TV stars.
The #speakoutlikeBrenda campaign saw former Corrie actress Catherine Tyldesley, Emmerdale's Joe Gill, Samantha Giles and Lisa Riley and Game of Thrones star John Bradley turn extracts from Natasha's book into powerful monologues.
And she is an ambassador for the charity Bipolar UK.
In 2018 Natasha played a prisoner in Coronation Street jail scenes with soap icon Sally Metcalfe.
Natasha put together her book from her own journals between 2013 and 2019.
Documenting 'the ups and downs of living with a happy soul but a chaotic mind' she wanted to get people talking about how they’re feeling and encourage others to start journaling.
A spokesperson for Vue Cinemas said: "The customer was asked to provide ID in this circumstance due to the rating for The Suicide Squad being 15.
"Given the child of the customer was 10, and no ID was available, staff at the venue immediately offered the customer the option to watch an alternative film or a refund, which the customer accepted.”
The spokesperson highlighted that children under 15 cannot see films with a 15 certificate. They added that staff are required by law to ask for identification when a person's age is in question.
Contact the Anxiety UK helpline on 03444 775 774 or text 07537 416 905 for support.
