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The Depression Cure Show
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall
August 22 – 27, 7.10pm
Antidepressant! Ever lost your way, your mind, or your will to live? Jonathan Winfield brings his comedy show about family trauma, mental illness and depression from his lived experience with his own cure suggestions: therapy puppets, silly dancing, the royal family and Lycra
Can you tell me a little about the inspiration for your show?
Jonathan Winfield: The inspiration came from the combination of a passion for the healing power of comedy, theatre and music, and the lived experience as a child of family trauma and mental illness, and the subsequent experience of depression and other mental health issues as an adult. As a child I was inspired by popular TV shows such as The Muppets and Sesame Street. Humour and puppetry can be a great combination.
What role do puppets play in the production, and why did you decide to use them?
Doing a comedy show designed to be informative about mental health, as well as funny, I wanted a way to get in touch with the inner child of audience members. Puppets in the form of a childhood television show seemed a good way to do that and also an opportunity for comedy within the trope of children's TV. These run as video inserts within the comedy show.
Is this work typical of your productions, and do you have a particular dramaturgical approach to making theatre?
I have produced sketch shows in the past with a minor use of puppetry, but I wouldn't say this is typical.
Within the puppetry inserts I use three character puppets to represent the inner child, the adaptive child and the adult with mental health difficulties who is trying to manage these wounded parts of the self. This came from my experience in 12 step recovery, group therapy and an interest in psychology.
And do you feel that the Fringe is a good place for your work? What are you hoping to experience?
This is my first time doing a show at the Edinburgh Fringe in over 15 years, but I started developing the Depression Cure Show in 2019 for Brighton Fringe and then in Perth and Adelaide 2020 in Australia pre-pandemic. The Edinburgh Fringe is very competitive and expensive to produce at, but the audiences are open to trying shows out that are different, so experimentation is welcome. I'm hoping to bring the show to a bigger and wider audience. Each regional fringe is different, but the common denominator is a central promotion and listing of shows, and an audience that is willing to take risks in what they will buy tickets for
