Following on from a successful run of GAME OVER in 2018, Skitzoid Productions is bringing its next musical DISSOCIATED to The Etcetera Theatre in Camden for two weeks from Tuesday 15th October.
18+ Adult themes around mental health and trauma.
Dissociated explores the recovery process of an adult, female survivor of child sexual abuse (csa). It is estimated that, sadly, one in four children experience some form of abuse.
Alex is a twenty-seven year old surgical student in her last year of training, whose life seems to be on an upward trajectory. Her career is about to take off, she is getting married and she has finally learned to spell the word "Dyscopia" (a common surgical term).
However, as her shift work increases, her sleep becomes disrupted. To cope, she takes Zopiclone (a sleeping pill), but her situation worsens and she starts to have panic attacks. When her grandmother dies, her crisis reaches a tipping point.
In Dissociated, the audience join Alex in her dreams, accompanying her at different stages of her life through her unconscious.
During this journey, Alex meets six different versions of herself (called Annies), drawn from her past, present and future. However, each version’s memories are incomplete, so Alex and her Annies have to work out how to piece them back together.
Can Alex reconnect with her memories, confront her demons and move towards recovery and healing?
Dave Bain, the writer of Dissociated, said: "As a psychotherapist, I've worked with suvivors for over ten years. Child sexual abuse is not an easy subject to address, but by locating this play in our protagonist's dreams, we can bring a humour, warmth and playfulness to the material, which stops it feeling too overwhelming for audiences."
DISSOCIATED features ten original songs by Bain, with choreography devised by the musical's lead, Eloise Jones (previously the Judge Of Love in Skitzoid Production's GAME OVER).
Commenting on Dissociated, Jones said: "It's a privilege to work on this production. The script's playfulness is juxtaposed with sensitivity, thereby keeping the audience engaged throughout. The score and choreography have been created from a place of empathy, allowing us to explore Alex's life with truth, compassion and understanding."
Dissociated has the backing of One In Four, a charity that supports survivors of csa. Linda Dominguez, the director of One In Four said: "We're proud to be supporting Dissociated across its October run. One in Four has supported survivors for almost twenty years, so we're very aware of the difficulties and challenges our clients face on a day to day basis. Dissociated invites the audience into this space without it feeling too overwhelming. It's a fun, creative piece of work and we hope it can help bring these issues into a wider public consciousness."
Dissociated comes to the Etcetera Theatre, Camden, from Tuesday 15th October, 7:30pm for two weeks (performances Tue-Sat).
Tickets are £12 (plus booking fee, concessions available)
Skitzoid Productions will be taking donations for One In Four at the end of each performance.
For more information about support for survivor's of child sexual abuse, please goto the One in Four website by clicking here.