On Monday 1st October, Norwich Samaritans were invited to a rehearsal of Rules for Being a Man; a new Norfolk-based play on men’s mental health by All-in Productions.
A one-man show, the play used wireless headphone technology to tell the story of a father, son and grandfather at critical points in their lives. Exploring themes of toxic masculinity, each story told of how these learned aspects of traditional ‘manhood’ can be detrimental to mental health.
Alongside the three stories, a fourth character was introduced – a Samaritans listening volunteer. They gave a glimpse of what it was like to be on the other end of the phone wearing the ‘Samaritan armour’. Having consulted on the play during production, Sams volunteers found it quite strange having their experiences quoted back to them!
Intended as an awareness piece after friends were bereaved by suicide, the team at All-in Prods had worked with Sams, counsellors, and suicide survivors to grow the play from concept to production. Norwich Sams volunteers had been involved carrying out role-plays during production to help them capture how Samaritans support a caller.
Overall, Sams were very impressed with the final performance; Catrin (Project Co-ordinator) also attended the final performance at Sheringham Little Theatre and said:
“Andy’s performance was very impactful. I think it would be hard for anyone to watch Rules for Being a Man without finding something in each character’s story relevant to his or her own experiences. The headphones also personalised the experience making you confront the characters, their stories, thoughts, and emotions very intimately.”
Hear our publicity officer chat about the play on Radio Norfolk here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06lrvy9