Origins
The theatre production Inside Out was developed on commission from City of York Council with a core brief to create a new theatre production to encourage young people, aged year 10 and above, to discuss Mental Health and how important it is to acknowledge its impact on all of our lives. We were given the additional brief to examine what is and what is not acceptable behaviour to expect from partners in romantic relationships.
The production was researched and written following extensive research with young people in the target age bracket. Additionally we carried out dozens of research conversations and visits with many professionals who work in teenage and adolescent mental health services to ensure we created a fiction that was based on the accurate contemporary climate in teenage mental health.
The play & workshop
The play itself follows two principal characters, a young man aged 17/18 and a young woman aged 16/17. Both of their stories follow them as they, against the backdrop of pressure in their relationships with others; parents, families,education settings and boyfriends/girlfriends, exhibit signs of deteriorating mental health.
The many health professionals who helped in the research of the play have subsequently watched the play or read the final script and they confirm that many of the characters are exhibiting signs and behaviours that, were they to present in their clinics or settings, then they would be concerned that they went on to receive intervention or help; we discuss this.
Our characters however don’t seek help as they don’t “see” themselves in the round. This luxury is afforded to the audience however and this is where we know the production has its impact, seeing the reality of the narrative but having the benefit of distance to observe, comment and think. Space to think so that should the students themselves face similar issues personally or see their friends in these situations then they will be better placed to seek help, intervene or simply understand…
The workshop that is delivered after the play looks into more detail about mental health statistics and myths plus we give the audience space to consider and comment on the behaviour and decisions of the characters
click this link to see a taster trailer of the production: https://youtu.be/BtHvx7parqs
InsideOut-play 