MAGAZINE

Mersey Care’s Recovery College is pushing the boundaries of innovativecourses that can help patients regain confidence and rebuild their lives –we take a not too serious look at how comedy and theatre is putting thespotlight on recovery.Does someone with a mental healthproblem really want to hear a gag?You must be joking some would say.But at Mersey Care’s Recovery Collegethe art of being funny is helping notonly making audiences howl out loudit is transforming the lives of theperpetrators of these belly laughingroutines.Having a titter for the good of yourhealth isn’t new. In the 1998 semibiographical film American physicianPatch Adams, suicidal after the deathof a friend, uses humour to help hisfellow patients. Deciding to train asa doctor he develops a methodologythat incorporates humour to helpcombat illness – a radical concept atthe time of his graduation in 1971.Humour for health goes back a longway. Look no further than the ancientproverb… “As soap is to the body, solaughter is to the soul.”But a course in cracking jokes?The idea that it could play a uniquepart in a new six week confidencebuildingcourse came to fruition justthis year. But what kind of a collegehas a course in cracking jokes?The Recovery College isn’t a school ora college in the traditional sense of theword. Its learning programmes are allaimed at supporting people along theirroad to recovery from a mental illness.Stuart Robinson, Recovery Collegelead explains: “The wider aim was tohelp people develop personal skills andconfidence in those social situationswe all might find difficult.“We chose comedy because there’sonly so much you can teach aboutconfidence in a classroom. Mentalillness and comedy may sound polesapart but many comedians haveacknowledged periods of mentalhealth problems and their experiencehas influenced their work.“People had some amazing ideas. Oneof our acts, Paula, did a send up of thepop tune ‘It’s All about the Bass’ calledIt’s All About the Meds…it went downvery well!”Comfort zones wereleft behindPeople left their comfortzones, but what an achievement- if you can stand in frontof 80 people and make them laughyou can do anything!”Of course there’s no laughter withoutan audience and more than 80people howled their way through astand up show at Liverpool’s Pilgrimpub.Course leader Kiefer Lewis is aprofessional workshop leader indrama and comedy.“It wasn’t until the final show that Irealised just how far the studentshad come. I’ve never had somuch pride in a group as I didthat night. The course was ahuge journey for me too and to makeit with those guys is something I willtake with me for the rest of my life.They took the proverbial bar and raisedit through the roof.”Plans are under way to perform afringe show to Liverpool ComedyFestival just prior to World MentalHealth Day this autumn.The Recovery College is open toanyone who uses services, includingfamily and carers of service users andmembers of staff. A wide range ofcourses are running. For moreinformation call: 0151 330 4140;email:Recovery.College@merseycare.nhs.ukor follow the College onTwitter:@RC_MerseyCare.5