Esme Davis
A stage full of pill bottles all bearing the same name, a woman standing alone, and an unexpectedly comforting show.
Mari Crawford’s Bipolar Badass is the story of a woman’s tumultuous and challenging bipolar diagnosis, the situation that led her to that moment, and the personal struggles that followed it. The story is dark, vivid, and chilling in moments, and yet the show as a whole leans more into the atmosphere of a feel-good, coming-of-age story. That is not to say the gravity of the subject is underplayed, but more that the essence of the story is a triumphant one where it is the growth and power of the performer that takes centre stage.
Bipolar disorder is surrounded by stigma and misinformation. It is continually associated with out-of-date and discriminatory attitudes, and although these are evolving, there is still a general lack of awareness and education around the disorder. Within the show, Mari explores this stigma, opening the discussion to how films, TV, and the internet depict and misrepresent people with mental health disorders. Delving into this issue makes the jubilant climax of the show all the more important and impactful, as Mari overcomes her own stigma towards her situation and steps into the world determined not to hide her reality.
Mari begins the show by launching you into the raw facts of living with untreated bipolar disorder. She is experiencing psychosis and mania, with themes of suicide and self-harm quickly rising as she struggles to find ways to cope. Eventually, she connects with a psychiatrist and is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. When exploring what this means for her, she realises that it is a genetic condition she inherited from her grandmother.
The condition is personified as a firebreathing dragon, one that Mari had been unwillingly handed and didn’t have the tools to tame. This analogy continues throughout the piece, as Mari slowly discovers the increasing challenges and barriers that her condition brings. The show concludes with a heart-warming mindset shift, the realisation that the disorder is not something to be defeated, but acknowledged and worked with. The dragon is just as scared as she is.
There is a captivating sincerity to Mari’s performance in this piece. Each word is delivered with an earnestness and an authenticity that encourages a genuine sympathy and understanding from the audience. She carries out the story with sweeping, open gestures that keep the world animated as she moves around the stage. This is most effective when she is speaking with the dragon. Here her strengths as an actor really shine – her facial expressions and consistency with these moments are absolutely convincing that she is facing up against the physical manifestation of her internal struggle.
My one critique for this piece is that there was no moment spared to clearly explain what bipolar disorder actually means. The launch into the story at the beginning could be very effective for some, but may leave others who are less familiar with the condition in the dark.
This show guides you through the first-person experience of learning to live with bipolar disorder. It takes a new and comforting turn on the familiar narrative within mental health theatre; instead of ending with healing or cure, Mari finds acceptance within herself of the chronic condition. This is nicely encapsulated in her relationship arch with the memory of her dead grandmother, who she meets and talks to throughout the show, and who eventually bears witness to the peace that Mari finds with her condition.
Mari creates an open and honest space to share her story, giving a voice to a community that has long been stigmatised.
Recommended Drink: A cosy hot chocolate.
You can catch Bipolar Badass at Studio at theSpaceTriplex until 23th August at 21:15 (50 mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Jake Mace
Lamesha Ruddock
Jasmine Silk
