“I’ve lived and struggled for so much of my life with a condition I didn’t know I had,” says 48-year-old director Kevin Palmer.

The South Oxhey resident was only diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism, in 2009 and is now debuting his first play, The Curse of Lover’s Folly, which draws on his own experience.

The play is about four young people, one of whom is a boy with autism and mental health issues, growing up and their fascination with a desolate place called Lover’s Folly. It follows their journey into love, life and relationships and the story touches on autism, mental health, prejudice, bullying and a terrible curse.

Kevin says: “I wrote it as a short story in 2003 and always wanted to write it as a play. I tried in to write it as a play in 2008 and I found I didn’t understand communication enough to write realistic dialogue due to my autism, but when I tried again in 2013, I found my social skills had improved enough to write it, and I wrote it in three weeks.

“We have people with mental health problems and autism in the show. It’s proved quite difficult,” he explains. “I’ve had eight people drop out since we started this project and there are only six in the cast. I’ve cut two characters due to not having enough people, but that’s one of the difficulties of staging a production with people with these conditions. I’m quite a soft, gentle person and I’ve tried to be very supportive and encouraging, so we have a good atmosphere in rehearsals but it has been very challenging,” Kevin adds. “In this production, I’ve had to be an actor, director, producer, writer and mentor.

“I’ve had to try and keep the group together had to find replacements when people dropped out, and comfort those that became too ill to perform with us. This has probably been one of the most difficult things I have done in my life.”

Kevin has been an actor for the past 10 years and has starred in Timberlake Wetenbaker’s Our Country’s Good as a camp Robert Sideway and in The Big Fight by Robert Doran.

He says: “I love acting, and took to it straight away. For an autistic person it’s good to have a script to follow and the parts are set, so acting can be ideal for someone with autism.”

“Last year I studied GCSE science and got an A grade, I couldn’t cope with school and didn’t really get any O Levels, but now I have five GCSEs.

This is Kevin’s first play he has written and performed but he says he has at least four more in the bag.

“I intend to sit down and write those four plays when we’ve finished this production. This is quite a hard-hitting play. It has been an amazing, but at times quite stressful experience, but I think it’ll all be worth it when we perform it.”

Speaking about future performances, he says: “We intend to do plays about autism, mental health problems and other disabilities, but I prefer the term differently-abled tothan disabled.

“We want to educate people about these conditions at a time when people can sometimes be demonised for having disabilities.”

For that same reason Kevin has also set up a charity, Aspire Amateur Dramatic Society, which aims to raise awareness about autism, mental health problems and other disabilities and perform new and original plays.

Ruislip Manor Methodist Church, Torrington Road, Ruislip, HA4 0AS, Saturday, May 7, 7.45pm.

The Pump House Theatre, Local Board Road, Watford, Sunday, May 8, 7.45pm.

Details: rmmc.org.uk, pumphouse.info, 07917 324179.