Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival preview

The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival, or SMHAFF as it’s often known, is back and this year its theme is Passion. Following the Edinburgh festivals earlier this year where mental health issues seemed to be at the very forefront of theatrical work, this year’s programme is covering a variety of genres bringing mental health issues into discussion and attention from classic plays to new works. 

The Last Yankee 

Potentially the biggest classic in the season is Rapture Theatre’s The Last Yankee, penned by Arthur Miller. Despite the recent focus theatre has drawn on mental health issues, Miller’s work from the 1990s shows that depression and how to talk about it has been on theatre’s radar for a long time, and it is still something we are trying to figure out.

The play takes place over the course of one day as Leroy Hamilton tries to reconcile with his wife Patricia who is in hospital recovering from depression, and to deal with the consequences of their different desires and the lost American Dream, whatever that may be. 

Cracked

New play Cracked by Santé Theatre describes itself as ‘a space somewhere between wellness and illness.’

Based in Warwick, Santé Theatre works a little differently to the straight theatre of Miller’s writing. They work closely with research in Health and Social Care, producing verbatim work with the hope of increasing the impact and reach of research findings. With the very specific aim of inciting discussion and sharing information, it’s the perfect fit for SMHAFF.

Cracked is written by Mike Kenny and woven together with poetry by Julie Boden. This verbatim play explores the experiences of three young people during a first episode of psychosis. It is a harrowing and powerful production told through the voices of their carers. True to Santé Theatre’s goal, the play is followed up by a post-show discussion, opening up questions about mental illness, and the misconceptions that often surround it.

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More festivals in Scotland this month:

 Sonica 2015 preview: Cathie Boyd tells us what to expect

 Africa In Motion celebrates its tenth edition

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In Her Shadows

In Her Shadows, a joint production between Blank Canvas and Jabuti Theatre takes yet another approach towards the exploration of mental illness.

The performance, directed by Cora Bissett, uses ariel and physical theatre and dance to explore the journey of a young woman returned to Scotland after years abroad and thrown into mental and emotional turmoil. In a festival that is so much about opening up discussion, Bissett’s piece reminds us that sometimes the body can express pain and feeling in a way that is much clearer than words are able.

Descent

Coming to A Play, A Pie and a Pint, Linda Duncan McLaughlin’s Descent tackles the heavy subject of dementia, detailing the lives of a couple who try to keep their love alive in the face of the illness. It deals with the guilt and anger that come with it, the fear of losing track of who you are and how in that process how and who you love can change as well. Linda Duncan McLaughlin is returning to A Play, A Pie and A Pint as a writer having acted in its very first production.

This covers just some of the theatre to be found in the SMHAFF programme, with film and visual arts events across Scotland as well. It’s almost impossible to miss this festival, and it is the discussion it creates, the buzz around the work and what it means to those who suffer under mental illness, that really make this work important. Whether it’s classical theatre or aerial dance you’re looking for, it’s there and it’s trying to get you to talk.

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Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival takes place in venues across Scotland 10-31 Oct