‘Life is waiting for you. Hang on in there if you can. Life is always worth it.’
Reasons to Stay Alive tells the true story of Matt Haig who at 24 found his world collapsing under the weight of depression. It is the first theatrical adaptation of Haig’s frank and funny bestseller.
This profoundly uplifting story takes us on his journey out of crisis; an exploration of living and loving better.
This play with music and movement, imagined for the stage by Jonathan Watkins, is a celebration of what it means to be alive.
Phil Cheadle plays the Older Matt in this eagerly anticipated stage adaptation of Matt Haig‘s Reasons To Stay Alive. The Artiscape spoke to him about his role in the play.
His previous credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Table (New Vic Theatre), The Cardinal (Southwark Playhouse), Breaking The Code (Royal Exchange Theatre), Henry V (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (Chichester Festival Theatre), Mrs. Affleck (National Theatre), Henry IV, Bedlam (Shakespeare’s Globe).
We asked Cheadle what appealed to him about the script?
Cheadle: I knew what an important book Reasons to Stay Alive was and what a vitally important subject. I’ve had friends suffer with mental health issues and felt that I had to be part of any script that was trying to tackle the subject and offer hope.
What did he see as the challenges in playing the character?
Cheadle: In his book Matt writes conversations between his older-self and his younger self. April de Angelis has very cleverly taken that and explored it further in the play.
The biggest challenge has been exploring what it would actually be like to talk to a younger version of yourself. What would that be like? When does he need nurturing? When does he need challenging? Am I proud of him?
I keep thinking about all the things my younger self did and I wish sometimes I could go back and tell him, don’t do that!
There are important issues raised in the play, what does Cheadle think an audience will take away from the play?
Cheadle: It’s important to remember that this story is personal to Matt Haig. This is his experience of his breakdown and how he came through it.
The things that worked for Matt may not work for everyone. Yet seeing how he came through and embraced life hopefully may offer a glimmer of hope that there is a possible way through that darkness.
Finally, we asked Cheadle what he is most looking forward to performing in the play?
Cheadle We’re opening at the Sheffield Crucible and then going on tour. I’m so glad about that. I think this story needs to be shared with as wider audience as possible and I’d be very interested to see the reaction in different cities.
Reasons to Stay Alive runs at Sheffield Theatres 13-28 September before embarking on a UK tour.
