Review: HALFWAY ‘ROUND THE BEND, Birmingham Rep

No-one really wants to talk about mental health. Especially not their own. But what if sharing experiences could make us all think differently about our mental health? Perhaps even see the humour in our own ridiculous situations.

Enter Dan Hagley. He’s written and performing Half Way ‘Round The Bend but perhaps more importantly, he’s lived it!

It is a brutally honest depiction of how we can turn around what might feel like a bleak and lonely situation into something that we can learn to laugh in the face of. After all, laughter truly is the best medicine! With direction by Alison Belbin, the set is minimal but relevant, setting the scene well and putting the audience at ease. It’s a welcoming environment for the possibly uncomfortable conversation we’re about to have.

Hagley’s delivery is relatable, real, likeable and incredibly funny. We begin under the kitchen table (obviously), cocooning until he can muster the courage to face his audience. Baring all seemed a good idea when he wrote it, and we literally do hear it all! It’s just over an hour of storytelling that will leave you crying with laughter and crying with empathy, whether you have experienced mental health issues yourself or someone close to you has, it is all relevant, interesting, educational and entertaining stuff.

If you take anything away from this performance, it should be that it’s okay to talk about mental health. It’s certainly okay to laugh. And it is more than okay to battle through it with laughter. In fact, it is imperative that you do so.

Incredibly funny and delightful storytelling.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Rachel Louise Martin