On April 13 2018, The Age ran an article on a play by Michael Griffith then titled Sidelined which tackles the often-censored topic of suicide. ABC Radio National also aired interviews on Life Matters, Making a Play for Men.
The play now renamed Marooned is dedicated to my son Guy May who tragically took his life, impelling Griffith to take the risk and write a play about suicide. It was performed twice in Melbourne, Sale and has received strong endorsements.
Mindframe however has not endorsed the play
due to concerns that the four fictional characters talk about methods used in an attempt to end their life. This has currently led to various organisations being reluctant to promote or sponsor the play in some way.
After perusing the Mindframe website, I read the play again. As I moved through the initial pages I felt a surge of doubt. Perhaps I was mistaken, perhaps openly discussing the various methods is not OK?
As I read on, I reconnected with the compelling narrative which depicts so persuasively the transient nature of suicide ideation and also its finality. The discussion of the various methods used is part of the realism and gives the characters reason to talk seriously to each other about their state of mind and motivation leading to such an undesirable finality.
The audience will emerge with a better understanding and greater awareness of the value of straight talking. The humour is real, not just comedic. It highlights the best in humanity as the characters overcome personal embarrassment, fear of exposure and more, finding new emotional connections within themselves and towards each other, hope for the future.
This is a play which can be performed at low cost venues, accessible to those in rural areas where suicide rates are high. Support prior to and following the play is proposed. Marooned needs to be endorsed by Mindframe. It is the end of the play not the methods depicted that impacts on the audience. It is time to end the silence, the sense of shame and to facilitate and acknowledge instead the immense courage needed to pull back from an intended suicide.
~Felicity May
