![]() I felt the anguished confusion of his mum, the devotion of his partner and the awkwardness of his dad. ![]() What was incredibly clever was that though the play centres on Matt (both old and young), the other characters are far from bit parts. You know, that knowing laugh that is saying “Oh fuck, yeah me too!” Other parts were so heartbreaking that they hurt my chest. There were parts that were so real, so honest, that they caused rueful laughs from the audience. He is led through the darkness by the older version of himself as well as his partner, parents and less than helpful boss. It starts with Young Matt at a desperate point in his life when he is considering ending his life. Imagined for the stage by Jonathan Watkins, it uses music and movement to portray the realities of living with depression both as the person at the centre of the story and also as the family members. As someone who has faced mental health challenges, it certainly hit a nerve and felt very real. I wasn’t sure what to expect to be honest, I had read the book and found it raw, honest and strangely comforting. ![]() ![]() Last week, I was invited to see the play at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre. The book was a bestseller and has been turned into a stage play of the same name. ![]() Years later, he chose to write a book about that dark experience and what he learnt through depression and suicidal feelings. ![]()
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