Jake Mace
Isobel Pitt’s innovative multidisciplinary show DOWNSTAIRS opens tomorrow as part of Adelaide Fringe. Isobel describes herself as “mentally ill (and won’t shut up about it”, and has put together a piece exploring the sensation of a panic attack through what she aims to be a hopeful, heartfelt, and sometimes humorous performance.
We caught up with Isobel to find out more about how the show was inspired by her perceptions of mental health representation in media, and plenty more. So join us as we head DOWNSTAIRS for a pixelated pint.
You can catch DOWNSTAIRS at Main Theatre at Goodwood Theatre and Studios as part of Adelaide Fringe between Tuesday 11th and Saturday 15th March at 6:30pm (60mins). Tickets are available through the Adelaide Fringe Box Office.
Jake: Hi Isobel! In your upcoming Adelaide Fringe show you explore what is really at play during a panic attack. Tell us about the process of bringing such an evocative moment to the stage.
Isobel: This whole thing started because I am a nerd with a mental illness.
I love neuroscience, I love to understand how and why things work and I have pretty severe anxiety. So, the process for this show really started with ‘write what you know.’
I was really frustrated that the panic attacks I was seeing depicted in the media were not reflective of my own experience and set out to share my story. The script has shifted and changed a lot since its first draft but at its core it’s a show about making peace with your inner world. I pull a lot from personal experience, but throughout the process I focused on turning some of these really difficult moments into something new, reframing them as funny or entertaining and giving them a new life.
Jake: The show is multidisciplinary, and you aim for it to be hopeful, heartfelt, and occasionally humorous. Tell us about working across disciplines and what the audience can expect to experience entering the piece.
Isobel: The audience can expect to go on a bit of a journey. Birthday parties, reality tv, panic attacks. They get to experience it all. Working across disciplines has really helped the internal world of the ‘downstairs brain’ come alive and I’m really excited for the audience to discover new layers to the work as they go on this journey.
This show also makes a point of highlighting the physical sensations of a panic attack. So, having set pieces and projections that change, and that the audience can interact with in a way allows for words to be taken out of the equation in moments of stress. It’s these moments that I think capture reality in a way that words never could.
Jake: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience, if anything?
Isobel: I hope that people leave with one more optimistic anecdote for their conversations around mental health. Mental illness isn’t one size fits all so the more stories we can share the more understanding we can create. The goal of this show is just to be a part of that understanding.
And I hope that if anyone comes to the show that has had a similar experience to my own that they feel seen, understood, and hopeful that they can still have a really beautiful and exciting life.
Jake: Now we’re in the throes of Adelaide Fringe, what are you most excited for?
Isobel: Fringe is paradise for the multidisciplinary artist. I can’t wait to connect with so many incredible artists and see lots of shows.
I grew up in South Australia and the Fringe was a massive part of my childhood. It’s really exciting to come back to it as an adult with my own work and see so many of my peers doing the same thing.
Jake: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why
Isobel: After a panic attack one of the first things that makes me start to feel human again is an apple juice. It might just be the quick hit of sugar but the difference it can make is huge. So, I think that must be my answer. DOWNSTAIRS = Apple Juice. A sweet refreshment to pull you from the depths of despair.
You can catch DOWNSTAIRS at Main Theatre at Goodwood Theatre and Studios as part of Adelaide Fringe between Tuesday 11th and Saturday 15th March at 6:30pm (60mins). Tickets are available through the Adelaide Fringe Box Office.
Madeleine Martin
Kat Burton
