Play gets to grips with teen suicide
8 July 2010
F*ck My Life
14-17 July, 19.30, and 17 July, 15.00
The ICA, The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH
£15/£12 concessions
020 7930 3647 or
book online
Fresh from the Cork Midsummer Festival, 'F*ck My Life' (FML) is a hard-hitting piece using a blend of spoken word and film, true confessions and lies, to explore why it is that those just growing into life choose to end it.
Both funny and moving, the play follows the lives of 18 young people from Cork, Ireland, and two Londoners, to give a voice to young people from a country with one of the highest suicide rates in Europe.
With support from a Wellcome Trust Arts Award, director Pol Heyvaert, of Belgian art centre CAMPO, worked with the teenage cast and Dr Ella Arensman of the National Suicide Research Foundation in Ireland to create a raw, authentic account of what it's really like to be a young adult today. What emerges is a flurry of teenage tales based on personal experiences of the cast, none of whom is a professional actor.
"FML brings much-needed attention to what is a very difficult subject and will help to open up discussion. We are pleased to have supported such a project," said Clare Matterson, Director of Medical Humanities and Engagement at the Wellcome Trust.
As with most teenagers, the mood of the play swings between light-hearted humour and sombre moments of morose poignancy, driven by an underlying emotional honesty. Some of the characters won't make it to the end. The audience is invited to listen and speculate as to who may fall by the wayside, who needs help, and how you might spot the early warning signs.
While the majority of teenagers make it to adulthood relatively unscarred, many are driven to extremes of sadness, violence and even suicide. Ireland has one of the highest rates of teen suicide in the world and suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in young adults.
Image: i know you wouldnt care. Credit: s.bann on Flickr
