OCD Me
The New Theatre
A one-woman comedy about what it’s really* like living with OCD ….*for Sarah
Written and directed by Aisling Smith.
Sure, we all get a bit stressed sometimes. We all feel a bit isolated, ashamed, and terrified; convinced that the minutest of our actions may somehow have catastrophic effects on our loved ones… or is that just me?
Sarah was diagnosed with OCD a decade ago. She’s been managing it pretty well, but it’s hard living in a world that tells you to follow your gut when your gut wants you to touch the door handle 64 times. She wants to tell you her story and let you know that there’s much more to it than the stereotypes we see on TV, like obsessive hand-washing (though in Sarah’s case that’s definitely part of it).
An autobiographical piece, OCD Me strives to be as honest as possible and to provide a visceral insight into one person’s experience of having OCD. Within the play, Sarah (played by Laura Whelan) tells the audience about her experience with OCD; how she was diagnosed with the condition 10 years ago and is today managing it effectively. Demonstrating the condition on stage, she draws the audience into her compulsions, making them complicit in her destructive behaviours, before taking control of the situation.
Blending content and form in a way not usually seen on stage, the play addresses stereotypes and taboo symptoms of the condition, in order to: inform and engage audiences; raise understanding of anxiety disorders; promote empathy; and encourage viewers to explore their own cognitive processes.
Reviews
“it’s difficult to imagine a more evocative aid in understanding a debilitating condition whose name and symptoms are often taken lightly and in vain.” The Scotsman ★★★★
“Part stand-up routine, part educational piece, and part cathartic outpouring of feelings about this often misunderstood condition, this important mark in the sand has broad appeal to all of us enduring the human condition” North West End ★★★★
Doors: 19:15
