Tom Lynam talks about his play How To Stop Worrying and Love Yourself

Hannah Baker on Banter Jar

Turning mental health into a positive

Pros: A topical issue – men’s mental health and the influence of toxic masculinity – that invites further discussion and suits a one-man play dynamic. Cons: The first 20 minutes feel less tight and less thematic; some sub-plotting could be cut. James is a single man in his mid-thirties, sorting his childhood possessions in the attic of the family home, prompted by his mum’s fresh start with irritating new man Roger. Writer and performer Craig Malpass brings all these characters ...

Pros: Excellent songs, use of sound clips and lights make this play stand out. Kane Power is a confident performer who balances the light and shade of the piece. Cons: As the volume is turned up to 11, the lights are flashing and Kane’s mother leaves upsetting voicemail messages, sensitive viewers may struggle to watch. Early on in Mental, there’s a disclosure from the man behind it: ‘This show will fail – how can I capture my mum’s experience?’. Kane ...

Pros: Brilliant cast, sustained rhythm and a clear script Cons: Although the play is perfectly delivered, the theme is such that the show might seem a bit too long Inside the New Diorama Theatre there are orange seats and a doctor’s bed at the centre of the stage. Harriet, a nurse, accompanies Sophie into the theatre, introduces the young woman to the audience, and then leaves her lying on the doctor’s bed. Still Ill takes as its subject mental illness, ...

A show with this much power in a space as intimate as The Hope Theatre makes for an intense evening. It leaves you with plenty to think about.

Fascinating. Theatre is a fantastic way to discuss mental health. Go and see this play - it will make you think.