BEYOND WICKED
Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett talks about beyondblue’s arts connection with Wicked to Coral Drouyn.
Wicked might not seem the perfect match for beyondblue, an organisation committed to helping those with depression of all kinds, but founder and chairman Jeff Kennett believes they are a perfect fit.
“Wicked is about bullying, alienation, feeling vulnerable and misunderstood. That’s precisely the profile of those beyondblue seeks to help,” Kennett explains. “You don’t have to be like Elphaba with a green face to feel that you are totally isolated and shunned. It’s happening every day in all walks of life. We can no longer even identify who is most at risk, it is across the whole of society; schoolkids, overstressed business people, those who have lost their jobs, the elderly who feel alone and useless.”
He is clearly still emotional about the problem even fourteen years after founding beyondblue. When the enormity of the problem is expressed like that, it seems futile to even try to tackle it. But Kennett has no intention of losing the battle. “I’ve had close friends suffer depression,” he tells me. “When my own daughter had two of her best friends killed in car accidents she was shattered. That’s the sort of trauma that can bring on depression…or it could be all the little things just piling up. That’s what makes it insidious and dangerous.”
In this day and age it’s frightening that there’s still such a stigma attached to admitting depression. “The stigma comes from the labelling,” Kennett says. “We’ve spent far too long telling people it’s a mental illness and making people feel guilty. What beyondblue wants to do is educate and de-mystify, take the stigma away and allow people the assurance that no one is going to think any less of them for needing help. These are ordinary people, the people who make up the audience for Wicked. We’ve combined with sports in the past, and we now have education programmes in secondary schools and a progressive programme …”Kids Matter”…in 2,000 primary schools. Partnering with the Arts will hopefully help both sides. It just had to be the right vehicle and John Frost and myself could see the connection instantly.”
Those of us in the Arts don’t need to be told that we are not impervious to depression; in fact our very lifestyle makes us more prone to succumbing to those feelings of hopelessness and helplessness: the audition that doesn’t work out; the phone call that doesn’t come; the part you’re perfect for but know you will never get; the endless months waiting on tables with your talent unrecognised; or maybe even just being too old for producers even though your skills are as sharp as ever. Sometimes it all seems futile. The first step is the hardest, admitting the problem.
“With Wicked and John Frost choosing us as their charity for this season, we will of course benefit financially, even though the audience doesn’t know it’s actually making a donation to us. But just as importantly we hope to get information to people in the audience who might need our help. It’s very much a two way street.”
Wicked’s final dress rehearsal, on Sunday May 4th, will be a major fundraiser with all proceeds going to beyondblue. The audience will have access to information about beyondblue and how to get help if they need it. Jeff Kennett will be there, rather than at the official opening night. “Beyondblue is my passion and I’m a music lover and will be getting to see a great show. I can’t think of a better combination.”
THE WICKED BEYONDBLUE DRESS REHEARSAL: 6.30pm, Sunday 4 May
TICKETS ON SALE: Monday 3 March
VENUE: Regent Theatre, Melbourne
BOOKINGS: ticketmaster.com.au or 1300 111 011
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Images: Elphaba (Jemma Rix) and Glinda (Lucy Durack) sing Popular from WICKED.
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