Deemed “brilliant, poignant and touching” by Angela Hicks of the International Youth Arts Festival, On The Edge of Me is a play that is ready to entertain audiences. Written and performed by Yolanda Mercy, On The Edge of Me “explores mental health conditions and survival in the most fiercely competitive job market of all time. This dark comedy is based on real-life testimonies of people suffering with mental health conditions, and those who have struggled to find a job.” Wow—sounds interesting, huh?
Directed by Jade Lewis and produced by Gemma Lloyd, this one woman show “tackles stereotypes around unemployment, anxiety and depression to challenge the audience’s views on social media.” Mercy is Remi—a woman who “embarks on a journey of love to heartbreak, aspirations to disappointment and elation to anxiety.” Even though the topic of the play is very serious, Mercy assures perspective audiences that On The Edge of Me “incorporates comedy, storytelling, live music, audience interaction and poetry to engage the audiences opinions of the current pressures and social issues, endured by young people today.” The play won the Small Story Big City Emerging Artist Programme Award 2015 at Rich Mix and was also selected for the Paines Plough Roundabout Performance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Go ahead, Ms. Mercy!
To be completely honest, I believe this play sounds fantastic and even relatable. I have known many Remi’s in my life and I even believe there’s a Remi in all of us. I had one period where I dealt with being in love for the first time and then within a few months, I experienced extreme heartbreak from the relationship & outside of it. During that time, I wasn’t sure how to cope since I was still in high school, about to graduate, just experienced a break up, and then dealt with a family situation right after. I had many thoughts going through my head but somehow, I managed to make it to the other side with help from family members and prayer. Mercy is a phenomenal talent to be able to share this character with audiences and even do the play BY HERSELF.
If you’re in the U.K., you still have a chance to check out On The Edge of Me at The Bedford, Balhalm on May 15th during the Wandsworth Festival and May 27th at the Chorlton Arts Festival at 7:30 P.M. The play can also be seen next month at the Off Beat Festival in Oxford on June 26th at 5:00 P.M. Also, if you still can’t make it or want to see it again, the play can be seen at the Wolverhampton Arena on October 13th at 7:30 P.M. once again. Check out the On The Edge of Me poster below and be sure to catch the play at any of those dates!
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Photo Credit: Yolanda Mercy