Inside the Bell Jar

Inside the Bell Jar
Written and performed by Kate Mulqueen. The Butterfly Club. October 11 – 16, 2016.

As an introduction to my review of Inside the Bell Jar I would like to highlight the magical singing voice and piano playing of performer Kate Mulqueen.  Throughout the show songs and music play a part in setting a poetic and melancholy tone.

A graduate of the National Theatre Drama School and with experience in film, television and theatre Kate has gone out on a limb with Inside the Bell Jar, as she shares with her audience the most personal experience of the life, the suicide of her beloved sister Emily and all of the consequences surrounding it.

It is a one-woman show and Mulqueen is a sincere and genuine artist expressing through the art of theatre the somber facts, feelings and emotions surrounding the suicide.  This tragic story enmeshes violence, mental health, depression, love and grief, touching on the literature of poets such as Sylvia Plath. The title is in fact taken from the only novel written by Plath The Bell Jar, a semi-autobiographical novel that parallels the subject matter in this show.

Mulqueen has an enchanting style and strong stage presence, she dresses almost like a character from a fairytale. Her devotion to sharing her story unashamedly and intimately captures the audience’s attention fully; you will be completely challenged emotionally.

She is very brave performing this candid and very exposing work; she uncovers an injustice faced by her sister, a victim of senseless crime and the consequences and breakdown of all affected by such callous acts.  This show is confronting and can be disturbing, yet the honesty in which it is shared is enticing. Through the narration the performer deciphers the process of grief and dealing with death and prompts us to think about how it affects each of us as individuals.

Inside the Bell Jar raises awareness of the extreme effects of mental health on both the sufferer and their loved ones.  It provokes questions of what support is available, what safety nets, if any, exist to deal with and assist with severe depression before it is too late to do anything.  It bares the helplessness and vulnerability, the loss of control surrounding mental health and highlights the severe trauma and guilt that surrounds death by suicide. It is a wake up call that far more assistance in this area is required.

Kate Mulqueen took a courageous risk in the decision to so publicly share her story theatrically and I believe, as difficult as it is to be in the audience and for all the dark and bleak feelings it provokes, it is a unique and moving experience. It is also significant in the raising of awareness and perhaps eradicating some of the stigmas that surround mental health and dealing with grief. I recommend you step outside your comfort zone and go and see it.

Lisa Romeo

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