Just for you – a personal experience of the trilogy of socially engaged work by one of Britain’s flagship comedy theatre companies, Ridiculusmus, including specially curated screenings, expert talks and an opportunity for discussion.
This is a must for anyone interested in imaginative comedy writing and deft deployment of the comic form in contemporary theatre. Ridiculusmus offer an insight into their research with academics in clinical psychology, and into their creative process.
This trilogy looks and listens closely to the most widespread mental health conditions of our age (psychosis, PTSD and insurmountable bereavement) and offers ways in which we respond to and work with people processing traumatic experiences.
Since 2014, Ridiculusmus has been specialising in transforming the experience of complex mental health issues into accessible performance. This work has taken the form of a trilogy – ‘Dialogue as the Embodiment of Love’ – aimed at a creative interaction between theatre process, mental health therapies and audience experience. Presented as a progressive portrait of dialogically driven alternatives to a medicated silo, ‘Dialogue as the Embodiment of Love’ shares and over-shares a way of being that remains tantalisingly beyond us.
Hosted by the New Adelphi Theatre, University of Salford in collaboration with Ridiculusmus, as part of the Enable US Festival, University of Sheffield.
Friday 22nd May, 2pm – 3:30pm
Session 1: The Eradication of Schizophrenia in Western Lapland
The first piece, inspired by the radical treatment for psychosis ‘Open Dialogue’, depicts a family in crisis and aims to de-stigmatize and normalize psychosis. Simultaneous scenes are presented to split audiences before reversal and repetition. This generates a cognitive ‘chaos’ for audiences, gradually shifting towards recognition of the prevalence of mental crisis.
“There’s something electrifying, yet oddly reassuring about this experience. A startling piece of work that challenges how you listen and fathom what you hear” – The Guardian
Session 1 schedule:
– Welcome, instructions and introductions with Dr Richard Talbot.
– Pre-recorded extracts of the piece with live commentary from Jon Haynes and David Woods.
– Discussion with Jon Haynes, David Woods and Nick Putman: psychotherapist and certified Open Dialogue practitioner.
– An opportunity for discussion: audience Q&A.
Saturday 23rd May, 2pm – 3:30pm
Session 2: Give Me Your Love
The second show in the trilogy explores post-traumatic stress and the therapeutic potential of controlled doses of MDMA. The production signals the mental health experience by unpacking the theatre-viewing experience: in a claustrophobic ‘flat’ one performer remains in a box, with legs only visible throughout the whole show, while only the arm of another performer reaches out to him through the narrow gap in a chained door.
“It’s Ridiculusmus at their best, with their signature blend of silliness and seriousness” – The Stage.
Session 2 schedule:
– Welcome, instructions and introductions with Dr Richard Talbot.
– Pre-recorded extracts of the piece with live commentary from Jon Haynes and David Woods.
– Discussion with Jon Haynes, David Woods and Dr Ben Sessa: Consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, senior research fellow at Bristol, Cardiff and Imperial College London Universities, and co-founder and director of the UK’s Breaking Convention conference.
– An opportunity for discussion: audience Q&A.
Sunday 24th May, 2pm – 3:30pm
Session 3: Die! Die! Die! Old People Die!
In this final instalment, Ridiculusmus strive to reclaim humankind’s last taboo from its imminent eradication in a paper-fine portrait of a timeless trio: a love triangle cursed to eternal life without eternal youth, in an age where death and the forgotten art of grieving have been medicalised out of existence.
Session 3 schedule:
– Welcome, instructions and introductions with Dr Richard Talbot.
– Pre-recorded extracts of the piece with live commentary from Jon Haynes and David Woods.
– Discussion with Jon Haynes, David Woods and Peter Kinderman: professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Liverpool, and an honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist with Mersey Care NHS Trust.
– An opportunity for discussion: audience Q&A.
How to Watch
This trilogy of work will be live streamed across three days via the University of Salford’s Collaborate platform. You only need to purchase one ticket to gain access to all three sessions. Please note that booking is essential.
After you have bought your ticket, you will receive a confirmation email of your order. Prior to the event you will receive a unique link via email. The link will take you to an online room where the trilogy will take place over the three days. If you have any queries, contact our Box Office Coordinator Hannah via h.c.briggs@salford.ac.uk.
After each of the three afternoon sessions, ticket holders will be sent a link so that they can watch each performance from the trilogy in full.
Warnings: 14+ only. The trilogy contains emotional triggers, such as discussions of psychosis, war, trauma, death and dying. See below for individual warnings.
‘The Eradication of Schizophrenia in Western Lapland’: some strong language. and depictions of trauma.
‘Give Me Your Love’: some strobe lighting effect for 20 seconds, some strong language. and depictions of trauma.
‘Die! Die! Die! Old People Die!’: Use of a loud bang.
Admission: Pay What You Can.
Pay What You Can is an ‘honesty box’ for the theatre. We and the artists will continue to programme and produce high quality events and ask you to pay what you can afford. As a guide, for those in full time employment we would appreciate you paying between £8 and £15. We also understand people’s income can be precarious, hence the free and lower price options. All ticket sales supports future projects and artist fees.
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Venue
Salford M5 4BR
UK