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Opening up another world Mess Birmingham Rep Door
CAROLINE Horton provided a brave
production of her autobiographical devised play ‘Mess' at the Birmingham
Rep's Door as part of the BEDLAM festival of Mad Ideas, promoting mental
health awareness through the creative arts. A festival which sees a series of productions,
workshops and other creative projects in a celebration to raise
awareness of mental health in Birmingham and Solihull. I am somewhat at a loss to start to review the
issue of mental health, in this case anorexia, in a sensitive way.
Having no experience of with mental health, I wondered if there was a
right (or wrong) way to talk about my response to the show. But
then I began to think that there is no sensitive way to discuss this
matter. Caroline Horton certainly challenges this fact.
She gave an encouraging and insightful story into an unfamiliar world.
It was an education. Her production welcomes people with open arms,
regarding everybody's personal history, empathising and standing beside
those who have anorexia, and other obsessive behaviours, while telling
those who have little or no knowledge of the disorders that it is ok to
take a look into the mind of a person who has anorexia nervosa. Education was only a small part of the essence of
what Horton's play really set out to achieve. ‘Mess' is indeed thought
provoking as Horton presents a whirlwind of incredible highs and lows
that anorexia presents on a daily basis. Horton shouts out loud that
underneath her incredible talent, there is still a small ‘elephant in
the room', which she must contend with from day-to-day. This three-man play, written by Horton and
devised by the company, answers the questions that many are scared to
ask, making this play so approachable for anyone to see. It voices the
conscience of an anorexia sufferer through each of the characters. First, we see Caroline herself, relaying the main
story through the character of Josephine. As an audience, we travelled
alongside Josephine as she takes us through her life's battles so far.
Sometimes, we were made to hold her hand, as she openly revealed raw
feelings with heartfelt monologues throughout the show. One speech in particular was a mesmerising
experience as Horton told us exactly how she felt as anorexia first
began to take its hold, whilst standing on her podium of a fluffy oasis
where no one could reach her. Goddard's emotionally-ranging talent shows that
the effects of anorexia are not just to do with the victim, but concern
all who are close to those who have the condition. Elizabeth Halpin
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