Fringe theatre show focuses on mental health

Lancaster writer/performers Byron Vincent and Dave McGinn return to the Gregson with their autobiographical fringe theatre show about mental health, friendship and suicide.
Live Before You Die at the Gregson Centre.Live Before You Die at the Gregson Centre.
Live Before You Die at the Gregson Centre.

Byron and Dave met in the early noughties when they both lived in Lancaster, promoting music events around the city. Since then, Byron has gone on to become a successful poet and performance artist, named as one of the BBC’s New Talent Choices, writing for the BBC and RSC, appearing on Channel 4 and fronting several Radio 4 documentaries.

Byron has diagnoses of bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, has attempted suicide and spent time on psychiatric wards. In 2015, he and Dave decided to try and solve the puzzle of how to be happy, and help Byron overcome his condition.

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What followed was an epic quest, travelling around the world to meet leading experts in happiness from the fields of Science, Psychology and Philosophy, with Byron trying out their ideas to see if any of it worked.

The journey did not go to plan, and now Byron and Dave have turned their experiences into a experimental comedy theatre show. They have been touring around the UK with the support of Battersea Arts Centre and are now preparing for Edinburgh Festival. But before that they decided to have a long-overdue homecoming gig in the place it all started – Lancaster.

After the show there will be a DJ/dance night until midnight.

Live Before You Die is at the Gregson in Lancaster on Friday, June 22 at 7.30pm.