It’s not always easy to talk about being sick, but this is something Alice Springs actress Lisa-Marie Ryan is attempting with her show Blue Soul, Red Heart, appearing at The Bally, in Gluttony during the 2014 Adelaide Fringe.
Ryan has created a piece about growing up, learning heart-break and overcoming a debilitating illness. The show rediscovers what it’s like to fall in love and what happens when a happy person wakes up sad.
Ryan was diagnosed with clinical depression in early 2012 and originally wrote the piece as a way to sort through her thoughts. However, the piece evolved as she became ‘better’, evolving into a cabaret piece that looks at the misconception that happy people can’t ‘catch’ depression.
“I didn’t tell a lot of people about what was going on and so I think a lot of people thought I was just always tired,” says the 24 year old.
“But I decided I wanted to put this on and show people that it’s not as rare as they think. Since I was diagnosed, I’ve found a lot of people who’ve said they had to deal with it and it’s something that people who have never been through can completely understand.”
“I wanted to demonstrate a little part of what it’s like and to remind people that they should talk about it if they think they are suffering, or know of someone who might not be coping.”
“Dealing with depression is a very important subject for me as I understand from an insider’s perspective of how destructive it is. I’m lucky to have a medium of expression that allows me to share my story.”
Ryan is originally from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory where she grew up with a passion for telling meaningful stories. She studied her Bachelor of Arts (Music Theatre) at the University of Ballarat. Blue Soul, Red Heart premiered in Alice Springs in 2011, before a season at The Butterfly Club, Melbourne.
You can get tickets for Blue Soul, Red Heart here.
If you need someone to talk to, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit them online at www.lifeline.org.au
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