Actors perform for stroke patients in hospital

Stroke patient David Goldsmith and actress Kate Dyson

Actors have been performing for stroke patients at a Sussex hospital to help their recovery.

The charity InterAct provides professional actors offering readings tailored for stroke survivors at Brighton's Royal Sussex County Hospital.

According to the Stroke Association 100,000 people have strokes each year and there are 1.3 million stroke survivors in the UK.

David Goldsmith, who had a stroke in August, said the performances were "good for the brain".

Interact Stroke Support has more than 120 actors on its books giving readings in 20 hospitals and 32 stroke clubs across the country.

The actors are paid £35 for a two-hour session.

Hospital staff draw up a list of patients who need help and the actors engage with them one-to-one.

Mr Goldsmith lost the use of his right arm, his right leg and his speech has been affected due to his stroke.

He said about the performance: "It's very interesting. We interact very well. It's good for the brain and keeps the mind active."

'Very satisfying'

Actress Kate Dyson has been giving readings for more than a decade.

She said it was "very satisfying" and she got "more out of it than I put into it".

"It's personal because you are one-to-one but it is a performance as well," she added.

"Even if you only see the bat of an eyelid you know it's getting through."

According to the NHS, stroke is a preventable disease. It is the fourth single leading cause of death in the UK and the single largest cause of complex disability.

The NHS said: "The number of people having a stroke will increase by almost half, and the number of stroke survivors living with disability will increase by a third by 2035."

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