Arts Award Part B (My Review)

My Review on the play called A super happy story (about feeling super sad) for my bronze Arts Award Part B

This play was a fun, silly and sad show for anyone whose brain isn't always on their side. It's about a woman named Sally. She doesn't let little things get her down and never cries. Unfortunately, she's got an illness. It makes her feel like she isn't the person she wants to be, but doesn't want anyone to know about it. Even after repeating to herself the words "I'm going to change the world, I'm Sally Mackenzie!" depression was still able to break its way in.
Cabaret was the main form of the Arts involved in this show; cabaret's a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. It is mainly distinguished by the performance venue, which might be a pub, a restaurant or a nightclub with a stage for performances.

Personally, I loved the way it was combined into the performance. The idea of singing and dancing to act out something so serious seemed ridiculous, but I think without the joyfulness of the cabaret, it could have been overwhelming.
She went through the most detrimental parts of her life, from a simple breakup to losing her favourite cd, getting a humiliating job, and coming to the realization that she's being affected by depression. Unfortunately, a suicide attempt was also apart of her story.
I went to this because I thought this story could present a different perspective of the world, that I did not notice beforehand about how our brain and body try to cope with such an illness.

Another reason for going is because while theatre performances demonstrate to us the love, the strength, the determination, that we need to move forward in our lives. Conversely, it allows us to escape our own lives for a short while, but at the same time bring meaning into our lives. Not like books or movies though, the theatre often feels more real since the audience shares the same space as the actors.
I liked how denial was one of the crucial points in the play. Sally believed she would change the world, and being so optimistic she thought that depression couldn't and wouldn't happen to her, because after all, she was Sally Mackenzie.  
When she spoke about her suicide attempt, she detailed everything she was feeling, from sitting in the bath and closing her eyes waiting for the darkness to absorb her. At this point in the performance, I was on edge. It felt as if I was right there with her going through the same agony she went through, enduring everything she did.
Next minute she's hauling her limp body across the floor 

trying to reach her telephone, praying that maybe she could rescue herself, only to find that it was out of battery, she was devastated. I've watched countless films which have had the cliché scene where one's dying state reaches a phone, only to find it's out of charge, so when she talked us through how she found her phone out of battery, I was shocked.
I admired how Sally was able to talk about a part in her life in which she had dismissed her mental health and overlooked how serious it was, to later on stand up in front of an audience and share her personal life, and it can even help people deal with their own difficulties by sharing how she coped herself.

If I had to find something I disliked, I would comment on how the play wasn't longer because I was just so captivated.
Was this play inspirational? In my eyes, yes, and I'm sure if you watched it too, you would say the same. I mean, inspiring is how someone can share with you how they overcame suffocating in sadness, assuming everyone was against them and the darkest of all...a suicide attempt, and yet after all that, she came back stronger.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone thinking of attending a theatre performance. First and foremost, this show can bring people who are going through the same thing together, it allows you to share the experience of that show with one another.
I learnt a lot from this play. The main thing I came away from this knowing was how depression doesn't always effect sad people, you won't be immune to it just because you're a cheerful person. Nothing prepares you for this illness, depression doesn't pop up every now and then, you can't just 'stop being sad.' It's a mental illness that can affect anyone.

Written By Freya Mae.

Author

Freya Mae

Freya Mae

I have completed my Bronze Arts Award and am currently on my Gold :)

Recent posts by this author

View more posts by Freya Mae

0 Comments

Post A Comment

You must be signed in to post a comment. Click here to sign in now

You might also like

Green Day Wembley 2024 Review - Silver Arts Award

Green Day Wembley 2024 Review - Silver Arts Award

by Lani Lawton

Read now