SMHAF Podcast · Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival

Performing Anxiety: Nye Russell Thompson interview

September 19, 2024·45 min·4 clips

Nye broke down and lost a whole day of work on Choo Choo because he had no mental health practitioner in the room.

This episode features an interview with theatre writer-performer Nye Russell-Thompson, founder of the company Stammermouth, which creates work about difficult subjects. The conversation explores the personal and practical considerations of making autobiographical art about mental health. Russell-Thompson's show "Choo Choo," which won the Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award in 2023, is a central case study. He states that having wellbeing structures and access to a mental health practitioner in the creative room is paramount. Russell-Thompson emphasizes the value of working with a team who share similar experiences, forming a support network. He recounts a specific breakdown during the development of "Choo Choo" that caused them to lose a full day of work, which he attributes to not having a practitioner present. The artist describes a post-pandemic reversion in theatre to unsustainable working practices, despite earlier promises of change. He explains his concept of "safe autobiographical work," which involves combining truthful elements with character or caricature to create artistic distance. For his show about stammering, he intentionally re-embodied his childhood speech pattern for performances, finding he could stop it afterward. A key insight is that making art about mental health can be a form of reclaiming agency over experiences that felt uncontrollable. The development of "Choo Choo" involved years of research and development, with early concepts involving puppets and a character named "Fluff." A memorable segment of the show asks the audience to clap or cheer if they have recognized particular intrusive thoughts, deliberately avoiding hand-raising to prevent feelings of exposure. Post-show conversations in the bar often led audience members to share their own experiences, with one person recognizing their partner's behavior in the show's narrative. Russell-Thompson notes these informal chats were easier because the show's humorous, lighthearted tone set a comfortable precedent for discussion. He advises artists to know their purpose for sharing and to ensure the work has benefit for others beyond themselves. The artist strongly recommends creating an "access rider"—a document outlining optimal working conditions for wellbeing—though he suggests a less clinical name. He argues venues must proactively offer relaxed performances, calm spaces, and honor these access documents to be true allies. The tone is conversational, reflective, and grounded in personal experience, moving between specific anecdotes and broader industry advice. This episode is ideal for theatre-makers, mental health advocates, and anyone interested in the ethics of autobiographical storytelling. Listeners seeking a highly produced, narrative-driven podcast might find the straightforward interview style less engaging.

As heard by us

A grounded look at how access, care, and mental health shape the work itself.

This episode is strongest when it keeps its eye on process rather than polish. Nye Russell-Thompson treats access as part of the work itself, not a box to tick afterward, and that makes the discussion of wellbeing feel concrete instead of abstract.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Press play if you want the making of a mental-health theatre piece, with care and access treated as part of the craft.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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