THE BURGUNDY BOY
a new one man performance from 6FootStories
THE BURGUNDY BOY is our latest experiment, an exploration of suicide and depression, identity and the nature of dreams and reality. Drawing on his own personal experiences, JAKE HASSAM takes us on a furious and joyful journey through the festival in his back garden and the chaos in his mind. In so doing we hope to prise open the mysterious oyster called "mental health" and offer a message of acceptance, of embracing your darkness, of hope.
I’ve been trying to die since 2009. Did you know that? No. Why would you? We’ve only just met, of course. Haven’t we? Isn’t that what this is? The first meeting?"
THE BURGUNDY BOY has been presented in "scratch" form at SHATTERED FRAGMENTS IV at The Bread & Roses in Clapham (May 2016), LIGHTHOUSE at The Fly Pit (June 2016) and as a full-length work-in-progress performance at THE BLOOMSBURY FESTIVAL (October 2016). We are extremely thankful to everyone that has helped the development of this project.
WHY THE BURGUNDY BOY?
a few words from JAKE HASSAM
In this modern world, full of sound and fury, it’s not the Black Dog that bites at my heels, but the Burgundy Boy who coaxes and cajoles me with his delightful feast of fear and sin. To that end, I suffer occasionally with bouts of severe depression. It’s he who whispers nightly in my ear that I’m worth nothing, that the world would be better off without me. But he also pushes me to be better, to do more, to indulge and make a difference – not only for myself, but for others too.
The Burgundy Boy celebrates my struggle with and continuing triumph over these mental health issues. I tried to die at the end of 2013. I wanted so desperately to die, to no longer exist in this reality. Death was the only way out of the darkness that was drowning me.
After my failed suicide attempt, I wanted to get better. But it wasn’t enough for me to say to myself, “Well that happened, let’s move on, let’s get on with life.” Because it’s a shadow. Because it’s an elephant in any room I step into. It hangs over my head. I couldn’t ignore what happened, and I can’t leave it to exist in the past. Leaving it there is leaving it in silence, and I suffered for so long in silence. Silence is easier to live in than sound. But it’s weaker, too.
So I’m talking about my Burgundy Boy. I’m dancing with him, and allowing him to have his say.
The moment we shine a light on the darkness, it’s no longer scary.
The Burgundy Boy celebrates my struggle with and continuing triumph over these mental health issues. I tried to die at the end of 2013. I wanted so desperately to die, to no longer exist in this reality. Death was the only way out of the darkness that was drowning me.
After my failed suicide attempt, I wanted to get better. But it wasn’t enough for me to say to myself, “Well that happened, let’s move on, let’s get on with life.” Because it’s a shadow. Because it’s an elephant in any room I step into. It hangs over my head. I couldn’t ignore what happened, and I can’t leave it to exist in the past. Leaving it there is leaving it in silence, and I suffered for so long in silence. Silence is easier to live in than sound. But it’s weaker, too.
So I’m talking about my Burgundy Boy. I’m dancing with him, and allowing him to have his say.
The moment we shine a light on the darkness, it’s no longer scary.