Provocative drama affecting real change in mental health treatment
Hearing Things explores the dilemmas of psychiatry from the points of view of patients, relatives and staff. Based on experiences of psychiatrists and patients, the ‘healthy’ and the ‘ill’, looking at how and if people heal and recover inside institutions.
Created using a unique collaborative process between patients, psychiatrists and mental health staff, Playing ON have drawn together the stories of those receiving and providing mental health care. Hearing Things is the result of that work – a process which has instigated real change in the lives of patients.
THEATRE AS TREATMENT
Playing ON aimed to demonstrate to hospital staff how theatre-devising techniques can be used to build rapport and create empathy among service users.
As part of the writing process, staff and patients at the Maudsley Hospital in south London took part in a drama programme in April 2014. Improvisations were used as material for the finished play, with clinicians and those receiving treatment swapping roles. As a direct result of these workshops, two patient’s progress was so great that doctors allowed their early discharge.
“Without a quantitative evaluation using any rating scales, what we know is that virtually all the patients who were engaged in the six-week workshop programme were discharged at about the same time and in that respect I think that the performance clearly accelerated their discharge. I know in two definite cases where I can clearly say the performance led to me discharging them.” Dr Dele Olajide, consultant psychiatrist.
This follows Playing ON’s core mission – marrying professional theatre and socially engaged practice.
Jim Pope and Philip Osment are joint artistic directors of Playing ON, who make quality theatre with communities whose voices are seldom heard.
Jim Pope is CEO of Playing ON. He is an actor, director and teacher. He has directed Hearing Things (which he will also perform in) and designed a programme of drama to bring together psychiatrists and mental health service users. He created the Playing Up programme for the National Youth Theatre, which delivers accredited professional drama training to NEET young people and has worked extensively in a range of settings such as prisons, psychiatric hospitals and homeless organisations.
Philip is a multi-award winning playwright, dramaturg and teacher. He has written and translated plays for a wide range of organisations including the RSC, BBC Radio and the Royal Court. His plays include Mad Blud (Theatre Royal Stratford East); WHOLE (20 Stories High) and Buried Alive (Hampstead Theatre).
CAST
Jeanette Rourke/ Hope, Janet, Grace
Daniel Ward / Innocent, Patrick
Jim Pope / Nicholas
CREATIVE TEAM
Philip Osment/Writer
Jim Pope/Director
Miriam Nabarro/Set designer
Becky Smith/Sound designer
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