New London play sheds light on nuances of male mental health issues

WARNING: This story contains discussion of suicide and may affect those affected by it.

A new play coming to a London theater sheds light on the complexities of boys’ and men’s mental health and aims to encourage conversations that destigmatise help-seeking.

The play, titled Man up, spans several generations and discusses societal pressures and their influence on various mental health challenges faced by men, and how this contributes to the high suicide rates among men.

“It’s 18 different stories that look at suicide from different angles, some are throughout history, some are contemporary, but we try to get a different angle on this very sensitive subject in each scene,” says Jason Rip, who co-wrote the piece and the stars in it.

“Men have a disturbingly high suicide rate compared to women, especially in certain age groups. It’s about men bottling things up and not sharing it with other people until it gets out of hand, and not being in touch with or looking at their emotional side. themselves as sentient beings.”

According to Statistics Canada, Suicide rates are about three times higher among men than among women. In 2022, the Mental Health Commission of Canada found that 75 percent of the estimated 4,000 suicide deaths that year were men.

Suicide is also the second leading cause of death for men aged 15 to 39, the commission said. This is evident from a study published in June by the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation almost half of the men those aged 19 to 29 are at risk for moderate to severe depression, with 57 percent at risk for moderate to high anxiety. Gay, bisexual and racialized men are also at increased risk in both categories.

The play, which is sponsored by London Trauma Therapy, is co-written by Rip and Rachel Ganz and will include five shows with seven cast members, according to artistic director John Pacheco.

“(The name of the piece) is perfect, there are no other words to describe it, because I know that as a man growing up, I was told to ‘stand up’ and not express my dissatisfaction, pain and sadness , and just push that away and move on,” he said.

“I’ve done that for so long. We have to make sure this piece reaches people who are struggling.”

The piece has personal meaning for Pacheco, whose younger brother Tony committed suicide in 2009. Tony, who was a musician by profession, recorded several songs before his death and in an effort to keep his memories alive, his music will be performed earlier. the beginning of each show, Pacheco said.

Play explores ‘gray areas’ in mental health care

Of the two characters Rip plays, one is a “male rights expert” who tackles harmful messages about masculinityand the second is a man in severe isolation.

Actor Dave Semple plays four different characters: a Catholic priest debating his views on suicide, a grandfather who lost his wife, a gravestone engraver and a father in the 1950s.

“It just kind of explores ‘crew’ and what our fathers told us and how, as times change, sometimes what our fathers told us is not compatible with the times we’re in,” Semple said, calling it his favorite. scene.

The play has many different flavors and highlights “gray areas” around mental health and suicide, Semple said, adding that it is theater that, rather than being “light-hearted and escapist,” will make people think about the heavy subject matter.

“It’s not always about suicide, it explores how men are seen in today’s society and how we see ourselves,” he said. “Sometimes we can’t understand the changes and that makes us feel inferior, and like we can’t achieve what society expects of us.”

The play starts at 7.30pm on Thursday at Manor Park Memorial Hall and runs until Sunday afternoon.

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