FARMERS doing it tough may find kindred spirits in the characters of Carpe Diem, a free two-man play starring logie winner John Wood.
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Touring throughout the Moree Shire; from May 19, there will be performances in Pallamallawa, Garah, Mungindi, Boomi, Moree Town and Country Club, North Star, Croppa Creek, Coolatai, Gravesend and Yetman.
Playwright Megan Rigoni lifted two characters from her popular stage musical Heroes and transported them into a new story, in an effort to reach country audiences.
The story focuses on a struggling farmer and his friend’s support through crisis.
“I'd been reading about the suicide rate in inland Australia and I was really moved to write something about that,” Megan said.
“There's a lot of stigma associated with mental illness, particularly in country towns. They’re shy of admitting to it.”
Men need to ask the questions and not ignore their apparent depression or inner pain.
- John Wood
Known for his work on Blue Heelers, John Wood is passionate about the play’s subject matter and said it was important to raise awareness about men’s health issues.
“It's a very Australian thing (not just male, necessarily) to feel that it's none of our business and that someone knows what they're doing. But men need to ask the questions and not ignore their apparent depression or inner pain,” he said.
Co-star Chris Pidd is also deeply committed to mental health. As the general manager of Lifeline Albury, he oversees crisis support that reaches over 11,000 callers a year.
As part of the performance, Chris and John will openly share and answer questions on their own experiences. John acknowledged that actors tend to be familiar with depression.
“They are constantly gearing themselves up for a role, auditioning and being rejected. Work is often not constant and therefore financially insecure, and of course bad reviews don't help.”
The performance is free, funded by Carers NSW as part of the government’s drought assistance package.
Project officer for drought assistance Sandy McNaughton said Carpe Diem was an opportunity to bring people together.
She promised a relaxed, non-threatening event with a barbecue and the chance to meet the actors afterwards.
“We’re encouraging as many people to come from farming communities as much as possible because they’re the people that will really get so much out of it.”
For more information, or to RSVP, call Sandy on 0408 757 886.
Details are available on the Centre Stage Scripts website and Facebook page.