Charlie's Story

Before I joined Stepping Out Theatre, I struggled to really fit in with any social group. I became unwell in my twenties and drifted from pillar to post. I always felt completely alone, and that no one really understood my mental health issues. I felt so empty, and sometimes devoid of any reason to keep on going. People who knew I was mentally unstable also took advantage of me. I tried to end my life because the isolation was unbearable. I didn't have anyone I could talk to and had nothing in common with my so called friends.

As an ethnic minority, I also suffered abuse from people who didn't like me because I am black. This really got me down and suicidal thoughts would again creep in. People have used the N word and called me sambo. In my local pub, people like me who are not white sometimes have to ignore prejudice just to fit in. Being in Stepping Out meant I got to speak at a local Hate Crime conference and I read a poem there that I had written about hate crime.

One thing I love about Stepping Out is that they will not tolerate people who bully or discriminate. When I am in the group, I am just Charlie. My colour isn't an issue, it's just part of who I am and people see me as a fellow human being. The group have always supported me. I enjoy the social trips and the drama groups, and most of all being in the plays. The group have also published a book of my poems.

Within Stepping Out I have found real purpose, and I have friends who like me for who I am. The group keeps me going, it gives me better mental health and self esteem and a great sense of belonging.

Charlie Ekpaloba is the Diversity Ambassador for Stepping Out Theatre. She can be contacted via info@steppingouttheatre.co.uk.

Emma's Story

Before I joined Stepping Out, I hated myself. I couldn't look at myself in the mirror. I didn't have any real friends and never used to leave the house. My home life was a mess from a young age and I started self-harming and taking overdoses to deal with it. When I was 16 years old, I was kicked out of home and school and ended up on a psychiatric ward.

One day, my Mental Health Worker took me to see a Stepping Out production. I loved it. The next week, I went to rehearsals for their big community production and was immediately given a part.

For the first time in years, I felt I had people that were there to look after me. Since joining the group, my confidence has grown and grown. Stepping Out has given me so many opportunities as well as supporting me through very difficult moments in my life.

Writing and performing is a way for me to express my feelings and those of many others about mental health. This year one the plays I wrote was performed in Edinburgh festival and I starred in another Stepping Out production at the festival. It was like a dream come true.

Being involved with Stepping Out has totally changed my life. I don't think I would be here today if it wasn't for them.

Emma Stadon is the Social Secretary of Stepping Out Theatre and organises social activities and trips for group members. She can be contacted via info@steppingouttheatre.co.uk.

Through internal evaluation and monitoring of our activities, Stepping Out compiles a large amount of stats on the effectiveness of our work with mental health service users. We also have regular external evaluations of our work conducted by respected academics. The latest one by Prof. Steve Onyett was finished in September 2015. It is a fantastic endorsement of the group's work and can be seen below -

Prof. Steve Onyett Evaluation

Below are some typical comments from audience members and participants in individual productions.

"Fantastic! Here's to a happy ending!"

Audience Member

"Very clever, most impressed with the versatility of each performer and the purpose of each sketch"

Audience Member

"Very entertaining, funny, witty and slick. This show needs to tour."

Audience Member

"A brilliant show by first class dedicated performers. Thoroughly deserves to succeed."

Audience Member

"Absolutely brilliant, fantastic and great! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in the lovely setting - so, so funny. Well worth seeing!"

Audience Member

"Witty dialogue . . plenty of surprises, energy, enthusiasm, really engaged with audience, fun throughout!"

Audience Member

"I saw the production of Great Apes a few weeks ago and I was completely blown away, it scared me, made me laugh, made me sad and taught me something too."

Audience Member

"It really was a joy to watch - exploding with energy, excitement and a sense of fun while also being able to turn on a sixpence to sequences that are haunting and viscerally powerful."

Audience Member

"We all enjoyed it tremendously, and thought it was clever, funny and thought-provoking. What a great cast and superb choreography / movement coaching. I'm sure you have a winner on your hands."

Audience Member

"Accessible, honest, real, intelligent, touching, heart-warming, and creating of human connection."

Audience Member

"Beautiful, thank you for such an inspiring evening - it emotionally engaged on many levels and was full of vision and heart."

Audience Member

"A very enjoyable show making excellent use of the space - a true 'bedroom farce' with fine performances, great choreography, delightful music and a lively and entertaining denouement! Congratulations!"

Audience Member

"An excellent production. Such energy and vigour! Such enthusiasm. Marvellous over the top characterisation. What a fabulous evening's entertainment! Well done to all, the acting was excellent and I haven't laughed so much in ages. I loved everything about it."

Audience Member

"Really enjoyable performance. Pre- set just right. Working on such a tiny stage extremely well managed. Costumes and music superb. Well cast and acting throughout believable. To do this play here really evoked the period. I hope you take this production to other venues. More please!"

Audience Member

"I thought it was a brilliant, anarchic, honest glimpse into the lives of the participant's stories of being human and sometimes not being OK. And THAT is Ok. Thank you for sharing and thank you for the joy"

Audience Member

"It was fabulous, informative, brave and very well presented. You covered a lot of important issues but I was able to watch and smile and laugh all the way through."

Audience Member

"I found the whole experience very organic and unique. I enjoyed the obvious development that all participants went through"

Performer

"Genuinely enjoyed the performance! Humorous and to the point. A real eye- opener in today's technology and just how the society is out of touch with communication today. Really liked the concept."

Audience Member

"Really creative piece of work, great seeing young generation's ideas. Skilful performance techniques - enabling young people to have a pride in their work. Team work and trust development really apparent."

Audience Member

"Stepping Out has made me more confident to speak openly about mental health and to not be ashamed of it"

Performer

"This project has been really up lifting and just amazing. I feel like I got to create lots of new friendships and have gained confidence."

Performer

"Both pieces were well written, thought provoking and well acted. Physically fantastic."

Audience Member

"The movement and monologues combined were really inspiring. The stories made me think of old fashioned fairytales and really consider life through all other's eyes. Brilliant."

Audience Member

"Doing Spiders by Night has helped me in my everyday life .. it has helped me see that I shouldn't hide my disability . I have never use my crutches before on stage I always left them backstage . But doing this I realise my disability doesn't stop me from doing things if anything it helps me . I can now do a lot more than I use to all because I trust in my crutches and that's all down to using them in Spiders by Night."

Performer

"A brilliant twist on a classic story. Love the music numbers and double entendres."

Audience Member

"A great alternative to the traditional Christmas panto - enjoyed by kids and adults alike. A polished performance."

Audience Member

"We were very impressed by their acting skills. The humour was timed to perfection and they drew in the audience with clever craft and improvisation. It was a dazzling performance."

Audience Member

"3 really diverse themes with quirky and intelligent twists to the stories. Enjoyed the actors, both really impressive. Length of each play was perfect."

Audience Member

"Absolutely loved it! Never experienced pub theatre but I'll definitely come again"

Audience Member

"Entertaining & really interesting - sometimes it's good to stop & think about what's going on in the world."

Audience Member

"Congratulations to everyone involved in 'The Divided Laing'. A brilliant and entertaining event with powerful performances all round. And timely?
     "

Audience Member

"Seriously stunning acting in a brilliant production.the script is funny and plausible and very engaging. Hate hammy theatre and this restored my love of fringe having seen it here at its best. Go.
     "

Audience Member

"A deeply moving and powerful production - James Helps' wonderful set design created a ruined church within a church. The music, lighting and choreography all added something."

Audience Member

"I was in Cotham Parish Church today for your remarkable, heart-breaking performance. It should be seen by every politician and shown in every secondary school."

Audience Member

"Such a refreshing and different way to remember the legacy of war. What an antidote to the hijacking of Remembrance Day by the war lobby! The rich and emotionally powerful musical soundscape was so beautiful, and the performers were outstanding. This was a heartbreaking, but vitally important piece of theatre."

Audience Member

"A brilliant, fast paced piece of theatre, superbly written, directed and acted, very funny and dramatic, but strangely beautiful and mythic at the same time. I found myself in tears during Frazzer's death scene - deeply political theatre, but even more deeply human."

Audience Member

"Another wonderful and thought provoking performance. Beautiful, powerful and heartbreaking: political theatre at its best. Great writing, directing and acting, especially Ben Crispin terribly affecting as Aaron, but great ensemble performance."

Audience Member

"Very well played, pacy and entertaining . . I loved the local references which added to the sense of relevance and I was moved by the powerful note of protest. The music and stage business added to the impact. The script was very funny. Real wit and imagination made the political diatribe palatable!"

Audience Member

"Thank you! What a great show! I thought it was a very polished and beautifully put together production. l really liked the set and simplicity and clean line of it. The music and lighting was spot on. The actors were graceful and a well executed performance The whole thing was very entertaining and enjoyable."

Audience Member

"Thought the plays were terrific! The actors were really in tune with bringing out the humour and I loved the whole production. It really worked."

Audience Member

"We realised right from the first moment of this energetic production that we were in for a treat. The plays were really well-adapted, skilfully directed and beautifully acted . . completely captivated from start to finish . . huge congratulations on a very successful production."

Audience Member

"Brilliant show - yet again! The cast work brilliantly together, great family-like relationships that are fun to watch. Very effective mix of serious background story/meaning with lots of laughs."

Audience Member

"I'm always impressed by the ensemble spirit of the productions and thought that the company looked particularly supportive of all participants. We had new friends along to see the show and they were very impressed and entertained. Thank you."

Audience Member

"So nice to have a proper laugh with audience and actors - especially with the subject matter being mental health. Great job. Totally love the dancing. You guys are always a joy to see!"

Audience Member

"Doing the play has made a big difference to me. I have just done a drama course at University which I would never have done if not for Stepping Out."

Performer

"I found that someone always had an answer for whatever the problem was. It increased my self confidence. I met some lovely, fun people. I was very nervous at first, but increasingly began to relax and enjoy myself as people were so kind, genuine and supportive. I made friends and I learned about working collectively. I loved being part of something genuinely healing that was also fun, fun, fun!"

Performer

"It makes a difference to me to be involved with people who genuinely support and care for others and grant them a feeling of importance. It has shown me that Stepping Out consider every member as important, despite how much or little they are involved. In the performances, I felt my confidence becoming greater with each performance."

Performer

"A fantastic, musical interpretation of the story. The staging was inventive and a good use of the limited space. The variety of instruments played on stage was impressive and the performances were very strong. I thoroughly enjoyed it!"

Audience Member

"Very touching production. The music was beautiful and the actor-muso ensemble was a very pleasant surprise. Clearly a very musical cast - the voices and harmonies were flawless. The small space was used very well."

Audience Member

"Why isn't this on in the West End? It should be! Think 'Once'. Think 'Les Miserables' then you have an idea how good this show is."

Audience Member

"Brilliant show. Fast paced, fizzing with ideas, hilarious, surreal, bursting with insights into people and institutions, and some of my favourite songs and dance moves! And also deeply moving. One of my favourite Stepping Out experiences ever."

Audience Member

"Hilarious, honest and honourable. As an avid theatre lover, from the West End to Broadway, Stepping Out's production of the Ministry of Madness equally wowed me. Travelled from London to see it for my birthday weekend, and it was a TRUE TREAT! Thank you Stepping Out!"

Audience Member

"Really enjoyed it! Great fun, good story and lots to think about. Loved the endless energy of the cast. All so engaged and engaging. Really liked the clever puns about health care, politics and theatre. Very well paced and well pitched."

Audience Member

"I found it moving someone deciding to take part in the show after several years of not being involved as she had lost her nerve. Then she actually asked to say a line - and that was a huge step."

Performer

"I loved the whole experience. The sense of community and the fun and enjoyment. I loved getting to know other people in the group better and building a supportive network together. I loved the sense of achievement from attempting something so ambitious and difficult and pulling it off. I think this project made a big difference in people's lives, including mine. I am so looking forward to the next one!"

Performer

"It gave me confidence and made me feel like I'm doing the right thing. I was very happy with the show and felt honoured to be part of it as well as feeling wanted, needed and welcomed."

Performer

"A very successful evening. Both actors did a great job and held the audience. Do see it! The first moving, real and a raw look at life from a teenage perspective, the second clever, witty and well acted. Well done all round!"

Audience Member

"It's a big ask for two non professional performers to take on the huge challenge of monologue performances. Both acquit themselves well in these excellent pieces. Well done, and well acted!"

Audience Member

"Two great monologues full of humour and suspense, generously interpreted by two talented and witty actresses. A great evening!"

Audience Member

"Excellent! Thought provoking, topical. Very well acted and directed. Had a great evening. Well done all concerned."

Audience Member

"Fantastically rich characters and scripts. Superbly acted and directed."

Audience Member

"More like this please! Snappy acting and pithy writing. Cute miniature theatre that makes you feel like you are in a big one."

Audience Member

"It was simply brilliant . . I loved all the characters. Everyone, each character, has their own personality, well enforced through words and body language. Well done guys. Just loved it."

Audience Member

"One of the most profoundly moving, funny and brilliant performances I've ever had the pleasure of watching. The atmosphere you all created throughout was beautiful and stunning."

Audience Member

"This was my first Stepping Out show. I was extremely impressed! The main characters were very strong, very humorous and very well acted. The idea behind the show was very unique. I felt that the portrayal of mental health issues was very realistic. Everything was brilliant! Good work!"

Audience Member

"It was moving everyone rallying together to help each other out. I experienced a sense of fulfilment and achievement. It was very rewarding."

Performer

"So many people complimented me on my performances both in rehearsal and during the production. I've always enjoyed being onstage, but never really feel I am terribly good. It was so nice to be supported and encouraged."

Performer

"What I got out of being in the show was a sense of community and of family. Also a great sense of achievement, especially when difficulties were encountered and overcome. Also a sense of how important the group and the annual show is to so many people."

Performer

"Absolutely brilliant! Wonderful acting - well done to all the cast. Very, very impressive. I found the whole play very powerful and very moving. Congratulations to all involved."

Audience Member

"Moving, powerful, intense, surprising, especially considering the minimal space, lack of props etc - testament to the excellent acting. Gives pause for thought."

Audience Member

"This is most strongly written play I have seen in years. Very graphic without being gratuitous. and so current. You do not enjoy this play, but learn and see society in a newer clearer light. "

Audience Member

"Best play I've seen in a long time. Multi-layered and textured. Loved the way built up tension of 2 in small space . . Much to think about. All that one would hope from a play."

Audience Member

"Fascinating, thought-provoking - a terrific production and powerful performances. I found it a moving and emotionally-charged experience. Many thanks."

Audience Member

"Very sensitively done, fine writing, well directed. A thought-provoking exploration of the subject. Congratulations."

Audience Member

"Fabulous, and a bit mental, which is a good thing. Really enjoyed this very innovative and ambitious production. Well done all!"

Audience Member

"Loved it - wilder, weirder and whackier than ever, but still weaving in brilliantly sharp observations on mental health, psychiatry, identity, technology and the childlike nature of the Coalition! Haven't laughed so much at anything in ages. Fabulous, mad delight!"

Audience Member

"Wonderful! I haven't laughed so much for a long time. Really, really great show - good energy. Loved the usual lunacy, but felt coherent, political and clever too."

Audience Member

"Being in the play this year has helped me during a difficult time. My dad got ill with terminal cancer. During rehearsals, I was able to focus on lines etc and not my sadness. Without having the show to focus on, I don't think I could have coped so well with things."

Performer

"I feel that it was one of the best things I have ever done. It did wonders for my confidence! Everyone in Stepping Out is so genuine and friendly - I've made so many new friends and being part of the group has filled my life with a new sense of purpose. Being in the play was a wonderful experience and has changed my life for the better. It was very emotional on the last night when we were all saying goodbye because I didn't want it to end. A big thank you Stepping Out."

Performer

"I got a feeling of friendship and belonging out of being in the production. I felt an increase in mental well being and an escape from pressures in my life. I felt more confidence in myself and more of a belief in myself. I enjoyed it all so much."

Performer

"I thought the Broadmoor plays one of the most powerful theatrical experiences I had at the Edinburgh Festival - top notch in all respects."

Audience Member

"The plays were insightful, thought-provoking and exquisitely crafted . . The quality of the acting was extraordinary and it would astonish and depress me if you were not playing to sell-out crowds within a couple of days of the first reviews coming out."

Audience Member

"Well I thought these were wonderful . . well researched, well written, interesting stories. At no point during any of these plays did I lose interest. I loved the interplay between the four characters and the threads running through from play to play"

Audience Member

"Absolutely fantastic performance by all involved. Very amusing and humorous. Very talented bunch of people. Brilliant evening - thank you."

Audience Member

"Fantastic. The best production that I have seen so far. Funny, moving, incredibly fast paced, but also relaxed. Everyone looked so relaxed on stage. The script was brilliant."

Audience Member

"What an absolute delight to see so many people on stage at one time . . a long forgotten treat. And the wonder of this production lay in its pursuit of honest, open enjoyment of being on a stage sharing a story. Everyone excelled for they were all part of a beautiful, invigorating evening. Thank you, more please."

Audience Member

"From being in the show I've got more confidence. I've got closer to a few people and even went out for the first time in 4 years. If it wasn't for Stepping Out, I honestly wouldn't be here. I have friends!!!"

Performer

"I was touched by the level of support from everyone. When anyone needed support there was always someone there to give it. One day I came in with cuts on my arms and no one made a big thing of it and that touched me too."

Performer

"Meeting new friends. New confidence from doing something that was both new and anxiety provoking. A sense of belonging to a group. A lot of fun from a new activity. The thrill of performing to a live audience. A natural high. A sense of achievement."

Performer

"Congratulations to the writer, director and cast. A very absorbing play - brilliantly written, brilliantly acted. Well done!"

Audience Member

"Excellent, intense, funny and poignant. Well done! One of the most moving plays I've seen here. Brilliantly acted and a fantastic evening - thanks to all involved."

Audience Member

"I thought this was a fantastic, fresh production. The cast were excellent, and for such a young actor, Violet Ryder was brilliant. Layer upon layer of intriguing storytelling. Wonderful writing - more like this please!"

Audience Member

"Brilliant use of space and direction. Hope it is picked up and I'll bring others who would find the subject matter really resonates with them. Actors were engaging and precise with their emotional journeys. Thank you."

Audience Member

"I enjoyed the show immensely. Performance of the actors was excellent and I was completely engaged throughout the show. Also impressed the warm and friendly atmosphere of the theatre."

Audience Member

"Really enjoyed it - really convincing, witty dialogue. Handled the more challenging scenes in an effective and non-corny way which I thought was really skilled. Strong actors all round."

Audience Member

"An exciting and interesting experience during which I felt a variety of emotions ranging from amusement, sadness, hope to anger and fear."

Audience Member

"This was the first production of this kind that I have ever seen and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very different and I enjoyed the feeling of it being very personal."

Audience Member

"An absolutely phenomenal show. Delving into the depth of everything someone with mental health needs has to endure. Professionally done and expertly executed. But that doesn't feel like an adequate statement to describe the effect this had on me! Thank you."

Audience Member

"Brilliant. Honest and touching without self indulgence. Wonderfully colourful and massive effort from everyone. Well done."

Audience Member

"Wonderful evening - entertaining and thought provoking and dealing with so many issues that are important in society at the moment like alcohol problems and depression. This sort of entertaining format is a great way to discuss these problems."

Audience Member

"As with all Stepping Out activities, I have met and got to know some lovely people, many of whom show great courage and humour in fighting against very tough circumstances."

Performer

"Doing the show was a joy. I felt happy every evening, looking forward to my warm up and helping to build enthusiasm along with everyone else. It was like a prepared terror run. (Scaring yourself is supposed to be good for you apparently). I enjoyed building my character week by week."

Performer

"It was like being part of an extended family - a great bunch of misfits and ne'er - do - wells! It validated me. I felt part of something. It let me express myself. I'm a better person for it. It doled out a large dose of laughter medicine. Doctor theatre is a very healing influence on me."

Performer

"An excellent play with superb acting - a joy to watch. Insightful and thought - provoking, this has both left me fulfilled and has made me want to know more."

Audience Member

"Excellent production - mesmerising, very clear, challenging, absorbing throughout."

Audience Member

"It's a killer! A chilling piece of storytelling, like getting trapped in the picture book."

Audience Member

"A wonderfully engaging play with well developed characters whom we could identify with even though their situations were unique and some very sad. Thank you for such a thought provoking portrayal of mental illness and a moving 60 minutes."

Audience Member

"Absolutely fantastic. The actors really put their heart and soul into the parts they play. Well done to all involved. Personally I love a good comedy, but this was both funny and sad. Really makes one sit down and think about reality."

Audience Member

"I didn't get a chance to tell you how wonderful I found Moonshadow. It was a beautiful production all round, full of subtleties, avoiding all the usual pitfalls and cliches that 'mental health issues' drama tends to get bogged down by. "

Audience Member

"I found the production very funny, moving and brilliantly paced. I loved the playful use of objects and the interplay and comic timing of the trio. I left with a big smile on my face. I liked the happy ending!"

Audience Member

"Really well written and acted, not a hint of pretension - very enjoyable and great for all audiences, including the theatre fraternity! Refreshingly devoid of sophistry!"

Audience Member

"Thanks so much for another very satisfying feast of theatrical delights - 'Ray Collins' was so far up my street, it might easily have moved into my house! "

Audience Member

"Great acting. Very punchy and amusing with clear messages about mental health and attitudes towards mental health. Very enjoyable."

Audience Member

"I really enjoyed all four plays. Well done to the cast who did a brilliant job of entertaining us. Very professional. Congratulations to all involved."

Audience Member

"Thought the show last night was excellent - funny scripts and excellent performances from the actors (particularly liked the psychiatrist in coma patients head) had a few like that myself . . "

Audience Member

"A wonderful insight into madness, the patient's confusion and fear captured beautifully. Comic moments done sensitively. Thank you."

Audience Member

"An exercise in prolonged and progressively deepening compassion. By turns harrowing and amusing. Excellently acted, my imagination was leaping to Russia! Beautiful moments, thought provoking and essential viewing. Beautiful human stuff. Felt numb and hated myself after - interesting!"

Audience Member

"Words fail me . . what a wonderful performance. I was totally spellbound throughout. Felt so full of pity for the character portrayed . ."

Audience Member

"Amazing, emotional, informative, educational, funny, clever, sensitive, brave performances. I have been touched. Well done to all those involved."

Audience Member

"Another brilliant Stepping Out production. Wonderful collection of energies in a colourful cast."

Audience Member

"An excellent performance of a dark yet funny play. A surprisingly entertaining journey into the mind of a homicidal lunatic."

Audience Member

"Fantastic - very engaging. I work as a mental health nurse and know how the experience of being unwell can be so absorbing. Very moving. Very good as an educational tool for the public."

Audience Member

"Great balance of characters beautifully portrayed. Your actors worked well together. Powerful play."

Audience Member

"Acting was faultless and the relaxed atmosphere lent itself to the enjoyment of the performances and the plays - vicarious excitement! Thank you!"

Audience Member

"I loved the shows. The theatre was small and intimate and the acting was wonderful, so much so that I would like to go and discover more about Nikolai Gogol . ."

Audience Member

"Truly excellent. Funny, inspiring and surreal. Made me want to rush home and read Gogol. Well worth the trip to South London. I will recommend it to friends without hesitation."

Audience Member

"Absolutely outstanding! Bloody marvellous! Never seen anything like it - Can't tell you ho much I loved it. Great humour, great compassion, great message! Well done."

Audience Member

"Extremely well performed, innovative and entertaining. An excellent way of getting the message across."

Audience Member

"Very entertaining. Thought provoking. Funny and well performed. Well done."

Audience Member

"At the end of this project, I felt exhilarated and energised. I feel our group is making a difference for people taking part and for audiences and that we are the real future for mental health services!"

Performer

"It gives the public a greater understanding of mental health so they are not scared of things they don't understand ... This play has helped me so much and has stopped me from cutting for 4 and a half months . ."

Performer

"The whole experience was an important part of my journey from the dark world of drug addiction, hospital and prison to becoming properly alive and having the chance of becoming the person I can be . ."

Performer

"Extremely intimate experience. You feel as though the cast is performing for you personally . . "

Audience Member

"Fabulous production. A particularly powerful and humane portrayal of a troubled mind by Seb Steiger - No doubt a name to watch . . "

Audience Member

"I haven't been so moved in years. Truly exceptional theatre . . "

Audience Member

"An unusual bonus for the production was that rehearsals took place in a psychiatric unit, where we met and talked with patients. We began to understand, first hand, a little of what it's like to be a mental health service user."

Performer

"I cried when I first read The Hour of the Lynx. Thank goodness, then, that I was alone! I was moved, not only by the boy's plight, but by the lyricism of the writing. It seems that nothing has been lost in translation to English from the original Swedish. The play reads like a novel. Once started, I simply couldn't put it down and so I enjoyed the flow of the narrative."

Performer

"I think I most enjoyed our first performance which we did for patients at the hospital. It was only afterwards that I found out exactly how near to cancelling the show the hospital executives had come. Unbelievable! However we were fortunate enough to put it on and I felt really honoured to be performing to these people."

Performer

"A quick note to say how much we enjoyed the performance. This was the first time I have been to a play for years, and after this will now come to all Stepping Out performances. "

Audience Member

"Fabulous writing - I was so impressed by the richness of the performance and the sheer commitment of all involved"

Audience Member

"The best Stepping Out play I've seen so far - congratulations to all involved. I'm so impressed with the way you all work together and are obviously having a great time. Roll on the next play. I'll definitely be there!"

Audience Member

"'Rasputin' has given me the vision that there is life after breakdown or recovery and Stepping Out is a stepping stone to that life."

Performer

"At the time of the play I was having a difficult time. Life had become very busy for me. Not only commitments to the play but home life too. I am a manic depressive and anything good or bad can set me off to a hyper mood. I was high as a kite. The experience was very positive, my confidence has grown and my understanding of other people and their take on life was very humbling."

Performer

"Being in the play gives me a structure to my life. I feel I am doing something worthwhile. Being with people who have had similar problems is good as you can support and encourage each other. It's the best therapy I can think of . ."

Performer

"A gripping performance from 4 hugely talented actors. The simple set enhanced the presentation of this play."

Audience Member

"A tour de force of rivetting intensity; harrowing and hilarious by turns, vibrant, with disciplined and immense energy . . "

Audience Member

"As ever Steve Hennessy provides a rich entertainment ranging from the darkness of mental health problems to the laughter or hysteria of life itself. We enjoyed it very much. We are never disappointed."

Audience Member

"Humourous, thought - provoking. Educational. Very realistic. Extremely well - performed. Extremely well - written."

Audience Member

"Thought the show was great - one of the best things I've seen at the Alma in a long time. I loved the simplicity and airiness of the sets - beautifully challenging and poignant writing - absolutely engaging performances."

Audience Member

"Most of all I thought the writing was extraordinarily powerful, so densely layered and yet all the interactions accessible and credible."

Audience Member

"I thought it was excellent - you all had me in stitches! It was a welcome break, as you said, from the daily grind. I'll be looking out for your next production. You should all be very proud."

Audience Member

"Many many congratulations, and thanks, for a play which is intelligent and pacey and poignant and political and hilarious."

Audience Member

"Really excellent production - incisive, witty and illuminating writing, brilliantly acted and directed. A superbly balanced, funny and very touching production. Thank you!"

Audience Member

" I thought it was absolutely brilliant and I was very impressed by the organisational skills of how Stepping Out is run . ."

Performer

"I enjoyed just about everything! Working with new cast members, new interpretations of characters, and new twists to the plot kept the energy fresh and strong . ."

Performer

"I have learnt how teamwork, combined with support and encouragement, enables individuals to step out of their 'comfort zones' and explore potential for growth and development of confidence . ."

Performer

"Just wanted to say again how much we enjoyed the play last night. Great writing and some fabulous performances; well done."

Audience Member

"Without doubt, the best play we've seen at the Alma - and one of the finest pieces of drama we've ever seen."

Audience Member

"Before the experience of it fades into memory, I want to say again what a profound and incredible experience it was seeing Bard of Bedlam; I just loved it. What a brilliant play! I was straight onto my feet for a standing ovation, a rare act for me. It was just wonderful - thank you to you and to the whole crew. And the politics of it in relation to mental health were inspiring."

Audience Member

"Having worked in mental health and become very disillusioned with the system, the play really touched me. I hope you continue to have great success in the future."

Audience Member

"Well done for pitching comedy, tragedy, farce and history into a single melting pot to create an entertaining and thought-provoking evening. And all power to your pen!"

Audience Member

"I just really admire how you embed such important issues so (apparently) effortlessly. Thought-provoking AND hugely entertaining aren't always natural bedfellows."

Audience Member

"It brought up huge feelings of sadness. and outrage in me but overall I was left with hope and renewed conviction in the strength of both the invdividual and the unified human spirit."

Audience Member

"The skill is in knowing how to cook challenging themes just enough to leave some chew but not so much gristle that your audience sends the plate back - that's skill, that's true talent!"

Audience Member

"A beautiful play. It has been a truly joyful experience. It's been great being involved in a play that entertains AND questions as well."

Performer

"An amazing play to work with - I have learnt such a lot both as an actress and as a person."

Performer

"This is what making theatre should be like: not only did I feel I was part of putting a tremendously important play on the stage, but I also learned a lot through the process."

Performer

"I have been using mental health services for twenty eight years. I greatly enjoyed taking part in the play. I'm a bit of a drifter with a wandering spirit, but I feel I have made new friends through taking part in the play. I wasn't nervous on stage at all."

Performer

"I never thought I'd have the confidence to stand up in front of an audience and recite a poem but I did and this made me feel really good . . I've made a whole new bunch of friends which is great as I used to feel lonely, but now I feel a sense of belonging. The play brought out so many feelings - happiness, sadness and excitement."

Performer

"The show has given me back my self esteem and confidence. The pieces I wrote at workshops have made me understand myself a little bit more. Sharing these with other people and starting to let go of my past a little has given me a sense of relief."

Performer

"One of the most moving experiences I have had in the theatre."

Audience Member

"It was an experience I shall never forget and I feel really privileged to have been part of it. It was truly amazing to witness the spirit of camaraderie which grew amongst those taking part and the tremendous level of support given by everyone to their fellows."

Performer

"Stepping Out has done me more good than all the doctors and all the tablets I ever took."

Performer

"When I was doing the play, I really came alive. It felt like I had been asleep for thirty years and then, doing the play, I came awake."

Performer