Keswick's Theatre By The Lake presents award-winning writer Duncan Macmillan’s Every Brilliant Thing (September 8-23, before a Cumbrian tour) – a powerful play about mental health and suicide bereavement.
The production, which has support from suicide prevention charities, explores the depression and hope, confusion and joy, heartbreak and anger of a boy growing up with his mother’s suicidal depression as a backdrop. It features actor Andrew Turner whose character, as a seven year old, starts making a list of all the things that make life worth living to cheer up his mum, who is in a mental ward and "finds it hard to be happy".
As an adult he's still making the list, but ice cream and staying up past bedtime have given way to more sophisticated pleasures, such as a famous singer's voice, or that there's usually a song to match any mood...
Cumbria, strangely, has a 50 per cent higher suicide rate than the national average, and TBTL's production – which coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 – aims not only to provide an enjoyable and thought-provoking night of theatre, but also to continue the conversation and engage communities.
The theatre is also presenting an exhibition, curated alongside community groups and local charities. A range of post-show activity includes talks from Three Dad’s Walking’s Andy Airey and performances by Julie Hesmondhalgh.
More info and tickets here