Mental illness highlighted in The Manic Monologues at Hamilton’s Meteor Theatre

The Manic Monologues showcases captivating stories from those touched by mental illness.

Perfectly timed for Mental Health Awareness Week, The Manic Monologues is a collection of real stories of mental illness delivered by a selection of actors.

Carving in Ice has a solid track record of interview style theatre and once again the company delivers a poignant and respectful exploration of the theme.

There’s a broad range of stories, varying in detail, length and the nature of the mental illness.

It’s both a strength and weakness of the show that it covers this broad spectrum, good for covering just how varied the term “mental illness” can be but occasionally leaving me wanting a bit more exploration in a specific area.

As diverse as the characters and situations are, the running theme is clear: the importance of acceptance over stigma, of openness over ignorance.

Bipolar disorder is a recurring focus, with one of the play’s developers writing his own monologue on his experiences with the condition. As someone who has known people struggling with bipolar, there were certainly many familiar elements.

One of the things so often ignored about mental illness is just how common it is. If you haven’t experienced it in some form yourself, you know someone who does. The stigma, while reducing in recent times, still remains, often deeply embedded in families and culture.

The cast is made up of Carving in Ice stalwarts and fresh faces. The cast of 19 provides a variety of age, gender and ethnicity, important to highlight that broad spectrum again.

There are no weak points in the cast, demonstrating the hard work from director Gaye Poole and the cast that has gone into bringing the script to life. Some highlights for me were Georgia Pollock’s playful depiction of a meditation retreat, Liam Hinton’s on-edge depiction of PTSD, Libbie Gillard’s rage at being dismissed, and Yurika Arai’s embodiment of the wide-eyed bewilderment of a hallucinating child.

Janine Swainson elicits both the humour and frustration of a woman gradually admitting she’s rising to a manic episode. Swainson brings a glow to the character that highlights the energetic charm that people in such a state can elicit.

Missy Mooney and Sara Young both deliver strong, lengthy monologues from the perspective of someone close to bipolar and there’s an unavoidable pattern to their stories.

Young’s closing monologue of a woman telling the story of her father, brings the themes of the play together at the end, showing how far we’ve come in understanding mental illness and how far we have to go.

The importance of openness and the harm of secrets. The need for connection and community, in conjunction with an art exhibition on mental illness and a wealth of resources and even support people on site, The Manic Monologues is both a thought-provoking, evocative piece of theatre and a worthy statement about the importance of understanding.

The Manic Monologues

Meteor Theatre, 1 Victoria St, Hamilton, September 19-23.

Developed by Zach Burton and Elisa Hofmeister and directed by Gaye Poole.

Performed by Carving in Ice Theatre.

Tickets: themeteor.co.nz.

Content Warning: Contains sensitive content touching on Mental Illness, Unwellness, and Suicide.

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