Adam's Story feature image

A free and interactive play focusing on the mental health struggles of young people will appear at The Lowry Theatre this Thursday.

Co-produced by the NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) and arts organisation, Made By Mortals, Hidden LIVE: Adam’s Story centres on a young adult leaving child mental health services and his key worker Sean for its adult equivalent.

The performance is an ensemble of multimedia, using audio, music and on-stage performances to tell Adam’s Story, which is based upon the experiences of 10 young adults brought together by the NIHR in Greater Manchester.

Catherine Cowdrey Project Co-ordinator at Audenshaw-based Made By Mortals, said: “The audio is made by young people with similar experiences to Adam so it’s really important to them to voice what they’ve been through.”

The company hope to raise awareness through theatre as emphasised by Ms Cowdrey. She followed: “The mission is to create and support positive relationships that helps people build resilience to mental health illness. Asking people from different places of that young person’s life what they can do to help those experiencing mental health illness.”

This idea of what people “can do to help” is key to the nature of the show which features plenty of audience interaction.

An interactive workshop towards the end of the piece invites spectator involvement and advice.

Adam's Story pic two
Audience members are asked to pull on a blindfold for parts of the show. Image credit: Made By Mortals YouTube

Ms Cowdrey said: “People make points that you never thought of. They have completely different experiences and different things to bring to the table.

“We’re really interested in getting younger people to come experience the show where they can. Unfortunately, a lot of people will find parallels in their lives within themselves or someone they know. There will be a lot of people they know with whom it resonates.”

A large draw for the show is that it is free to attend, something that makes it “really valuable that there’s no barrier.”

Ms Cowdrey added: “We want to encourage all people from all walks of life to come and experience it and share how it’s made them feel and look at things differently and removing any cost barrier is really important to that.”

NIHR GM and Made By Mortals are hoping to announce more dates soon around Greater Manchester.

The show will take place at 13:30 on Thursday, November 10 at The Lowry Theatre. For more information visit the show’s website, with tickets here.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *