The new production The Possibility of Colour is set to open at Salford’s New Adelphi Theatre ahead of a string of north west performances.
The new play questions the concept of normality and ultimately who gets to decide what is normal.
The Possibility of Colour is an immersive and moving insight into the reality of voice hearing, synaesthesia, neurodiversity and forced treatment, and has been created over several years in collaboration with mental health professionals, academics and those who have lived experience of the themes it explores.
The production is presented by the widely acclaimed Tree Fish Productions, written and directed by Pete Carruthers.
What is The Possibility of Colour about?
Designed by the AI-controlled ‘Vigil’ Corporation, the Implant is a new miracle device that promises to cure all mental illness.
For many, the Implant is an irresistible guarantee of eternal happiness; a life without suffering. For others though, it’s a terrifying instrument of control, stripping them of what it means to be human, and increasingly forced upon a growing number of ‘compulsory recipients’.
Will Joseph, his sister Aisling, or his best friend Helen, be able to decide which of them, if any, should have the implant? And with the ever-looming presence of Vigil, do they even have a choice?
Following each performance, audience members will be able to take part in a Q&A with a panel including leading mental health experts and people with lived experience of the play’s themes.
These important discussions will continue to take place as part of a larger national tour being planned for autumn 2023 and spring 2024.
Set and costume design come from Carly Altberg, lighting design by Isabel Potter and Carly Altberg, video and projection design by Ed Grimoldby, and original music and sound design is by Patch Middleton. Ally Davies is creative producer.
The cast includes Pete Carruthers as Joseph, Rachel Marwood as Aisling, Amy Revelle as Helen, Verity Henry as Vigil, Gareth Cassidy as Lucas, Chloe Proctor as Mollie and Orla Mullan as Woman.
Writer and director Pete Carruthers of Tree Fish Productions says, “The play opens up vital conversations about the ways in which we treat people who are deemed by society to be ‘abnormal’ or ‘mentally ill.
“It aims to improve understanding and empathy for others, but also to provoke discussion, reflection, and even policy change, in the long run. We don’t just want to entertain and inform, but also to challenge and inspire the audience.”
When does The Possibility of Colour run at Salford’s New Adelphi Theatre?
The Possibility of Colour runs at Salford’s New Adelphi Theatre from 17-18 November 2022.
