Ruby Wax - Dealing with Depression and Other Stories

Ruby Wax, photo courtesy of the Royal Spa Centre.

Ruby Wax : I’m not as well as I thought I was, at the Royal Spa Centre & Town Hall, for one night only, Saturday 16 November 2024.

Review by Heidi Barber.

This latest production from Ruby Wax returns to the stage after a sell-out 2023 run and is based upon her latest book. Having already penned two novels (How Do You Want Me? (2002) and Sane New World (2013)) which both reached number one on the Sunday Times bestseller list, this latest release tells the unflinchingly honest story of her time in a mental health clinic in 2022.

Her initial appearance on stage in a very fetching pair of pyjamas and slippers, sets the tone for the evening. Her one-woman show is a masterclass in comedic and modern theatrical storytelling. Following the global pandemic, Ruby decided to embark on a series of experiences in order to search for inner peace and equanimity. Unfortunately, during this journey her mental health deteriorated and in 2022, she checked herself into a psychiatric institution.

Depression can be a difficult topic to discuss, let alone joke about, but Ruby’s accounts of her traumatic childhood experiences along with her various treatments and therapies over the years, are refreshingly honest and genuinely funny. Her description of swimming with humpback whales was an amusing and entertaining revelation of the habits of these aquatic mammals whilst her explanations of her childhood managed to sound both upsetting and uplifting at the same time.

Following the show, there is a short Q & A session with the audience which offers the opportunity for real time exchanges with the host as she offers reassurance and guidance relating to people experiencing struggles with mental health.

 The overwhelming message from this production is that although it can be difficult to remain sane in an increasingly chaotic world, there can be a constant if we can find home in ourselves and with each other.

 This show, her first in four years, which has been described as ‘Ruby Wax's rawest, darkest, funniest and most compelling stage show yet’ is currently touring the UK. Tickets are available via her website or directly from the relevant theatres.

See what else is coming up at the Royal Spa Centre, Leamington:  https://www.warwickdc.gov.uk/royalspacentre/site/index.php