A night of entertainment encompassing mental health
By Liz Lockhart
A few months ago Mental Healthy put out a call for budding writers on mental health who would like to see 
their work produced on the stage.
Laced Banana Productions has now contacted us to let you know that they have their line-up for a great evening of entertainment which centres on mental health. Looking at the list of titles there would appear to be something for everyone.
The event will be held in Manchester on 3rd November and tickets are available. All the details are given below in their press release for the event:-
LACED BANANA PRESENTS:
SECTIONED - As part of the May Contain NUTS* series. Theatre to make you think.
Our first in a series of networking showcases, SECTIONED features 10 original new scripts written by and about the mental health community. Covering a wide range of topics and styles from the dramatic, funny, and tender to the downright absurd, and with writers all the way from The Americas to right here in Manchester, SECTIONED is sure to show you something you've never seen before.
Showcasing new writing from both experienced and first-time writers, as well as Manchester acting talent, SECTIONED is also a great opportunity to network whether you are a theatre-maker looking for the next project or actor, fan or mental health service user yourself looking to meet others in similar situations.
It would be just super if you would join us on November 3rd at Lass O'Gowrie. Tickets are available now through our website www.lacedbanana.co.uk
Show starts at 7.30pm and there will be an interval.
FEATURING:
CANTALOUPE by Alex Dremann - "I used to run a writing workshop in Philadelphia. Each week for homework I picked a word and the group would have to write a page or two for the next week using the word as inspiration. The exercise word the week I wrote this, oddly enough, was 'Cantaloupe'"
S.A.D PLAY by Eoin Carney - "Seasonal Affective Disorder is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter, or, less typically, the summer months. Although experts were initially skeptical, this condition is now recognised as a common disorder. The symptoms mimic those of dysthymia or even major depressive disorder, and there is a potential risk of suicide in some patients.”
THE CHAIR by Janis Holm - "In "The Chair," a man finds he cannot get out of his chair, and his friends try to help. Is the man simply strange, or does he embody something we all struggle with?"
WHY by Lee Harrall - 'The sole objective of the piece from inception was to give hope to those who have lived through a similar experience - whether directly or indirectly. When you reach your personal nadir it is easy to believe that ascension from that dark state is impossible - only by accepting the support and guidance of professionals, along with embracing the love of those closest to us, can we truly begin to recover'.
KUNG FOOLERY by Brett Hursey - "Kung-Foolery is a show about how people love each other despite (or perhaps because of) madness. Maybe a warped sense of reality can actually be attractive -- especially if your own sensibilities are warped in a compatible way."
A CASE OF ANXIETY by Mark Harvey Levine - "What if all your worst fears were realised?"
SOI by Andrew Smith - "Soi is the heart warming story of a young boy trying to find his own identity whilst struggling to come to terms with the loss of his mother"
TAPES FOR ALICIA by Lauren Elizabeth - "My piece Tapes for Alicia is based on a conversation I had with a friend who had previously had an anxiety disorder. Speaking of relationships within a household and the strain such disorders and mental health problems have on this interested me greatly. I found through my interviews with others in the mental health community that the relations between those sharing a house can often be strained and confusing and I wanted to explore this further."
THANK GOD FOR THE BIBLE by Paul McDermott - "The question is: Who's insane? Is it the 'Lunatic' renegade, who insists he's conversing with beings from other worlds? Or is it the vast majority of mankind, who are unwittingly controlled by doctrines which are fundamentally fairytales? You decide."
MOON'S INTERVIEW by Robin Pond - "The inspiration for Moon's Interview came from the playwright's own experience of going to job interviews, some of them rather nightmarish, while coincidentally taking a night course on children's literature. This play portrays a desperate job applicant named Moon whose separation from his children combined with his general dissociation translates his reality into children's verse - in particular the speech patterns of Dr. Seuss and Margaret Wise Brow - and even provides him with a narrator who serves as his own personal tormentor.
