Whilst theatre is a great way to explore and inform people of different and new topics, it is only more recently that the issue of mental health has been used in a positive way and encouraged people to talk more openly about the subject.

Two acclaimed productions are the musical Dear Evan Hansen and the play 4:48 Psychosis.

Dear Evan Hansen, premiered in July 2015 in Washington D.C. and on Broadway in December 2016.  Telling the story of Evan Hansen, a high school senior who has social anxiety, the production also deals with depression and suicide.

It received critical acclaim and was nominated for nine awards, winning six, at the 71st Tony Awards and a film adaptation was released in September 2021.

One of the most well-known songs from the musical is ‘You Will Be Found’, which goes deep into the protagonist’s struggle with his social anxiety disorder and highlights the idea that there is hope out there and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

It includes the lyrics:

“Even when the dark comes crashing through

When you need a friend to carry you

And when you’re broken on the ground

You will be found

So let the sun come streaming in

‘Cause you’ll reach up and you’ll rise again

Lift your head and look around

You will be found”

It describes the feelings of someone who desperately wants to be a part of everyday life, but is being held back by their anxiety.

4:88 Psychosis is written by Sarah Kane and premiered at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London in June 2000. Its subject matter covers clinical depression, dissociation, isolation, dependency and suicidal thoughts and gives the audience an insight into depression from one person’s perspective.

Stage productions of the play are varied, with no explicit characters or stage directions, and have had between one or several actors in the performance.

The play’s title reflects the time 4:48 am, which was the time that the writer often woke in her depressed state.

The play divides opinion between critics and audiences due to its subject matter and the writer’s subsequent suicide. One critic described it as, “…impossible not to view it as a deeply personal howl of pain”.

With productions such as these, it may be sometimes uncomfortable to watch, but it does get people talking. It’s important as a community to reduce the stigma and to be open about mental health issues.  A better understanding can only move us in the right direction.

For more information and resources about Mental Health Week, please click here.