#WorldMentalHealthDay17
On #WorldMentalHealthDay17 we thought we'd share with you some of our favourite shows that tackle mental health head on.
'The Room at the Top of the House' looks at a young man suffering from agoraphobia and explores the impact this can have on a family dynamic. We sensitively expose his low points, exploring the daily barriers that come when struggling with mental health, in the hope that we can shed some light on a subject that is very often hidden away in the darkness. Mental health is something that as a community we are becoming better at communicating about and this is obvious when looking at the current generation of theatre makers. When we attended Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year, it was incredible to see so many people communicate passionately about mental health -whether that be in theatre, dance or comedy- and we hope this is something that continues to inspire people to look beyond the exterior of a person.
Here are some of our favourite shows from the past couple of years that look into mental health...
The first is Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe's 'Every Brilliant Thing'. This show looks at depression in a surprisingly hopeful way that makes audiences feel elated and inspired as they leave the theatre. It is a beautiful and heartfelt story that had us laughing and crying from the moment we sat down. We also love shows with lists in and this show is full of them!
The second show is Silent Uproar's 'A Super Happy Story (About Feeling Super Sad)' which similarly to 'Every Brilliant Thing' looks at depression in an uplifting light. It looks at the many hurdles we come to in our early adult life and how sometimes our legs are quite long enough to make it over them and how sometimes that is ok. Warning - don't be fooled by the musical theatre style songs and cheesy dance moves - this show is bold and full of lessons to be learnt about mental health.
Our third and final show is 'Thrive' by Zest Theatre. It is an immersive theatre experience targeted at young people and looks at how grief can have a negative impact on the mental health of young adults. The show really made us think about how we all individually deal with things differently and that one method of grieving doesn't work for us all. Once again an uplifting and incredibly heartfelt show that had us reaching for the tissues throughout.
If you have a moment, why not share with us your favourite shows about mental health and why you love them.
