Actors raise money for local people's mental health

Seth Jones, co-creator of Past Tents and the actor behind lead character, Alan, tells us more about the play, his own experience of mental health and why he chose to support West Sussex Mind.

What motivated you to create your play Past Tents?

David (my co-writer) and I are comedy lovers and we had written several comedy sketches about two people stuck together on a campsite. This was the inspiration that led to the creation of our play.

Though we wanted the play to focus on mental health, we wanted to steer clear of preaching to people and we thought that comedy was the best way to connect to others and get our message across.

When we drew up the characters, they took a life of their own and elements of the play started going in darker directions - reflecting our own previous bad experiences. The play, a comedy, had also become about two men who deal badly with grief and mental health.

Some time after writing the original play, my friend Sean took his own life, and his loss had a large impact on us. So we decided to rewrite the play as a tribute to Sean. It gave the play a truth and honesty. We poured our own grief and loss into it, but the play balances out with a lot of laughs too.

When did you start Past Tents?

We started the play five years ago; we had a great run in The White Bear in Kennington. We were in the middle of redoing the play, when the pandemic hit us. We spent a lot of time making it funnier, darker, pacier; we really love the play now and we hope that everyone can see that enjoyment on stage.

Last year we toured the UK, and it went very well: David and I won Best Writers at the Cormac Richards Theatre Awards, and I won a Best Actor Award. This year we’ve also been nominated for Standing Ovation Awards for Best Writers and Best Comedy, so wish us luck!

Do you find acting, specifically acting in your play, beneficial to your mental health?

Acting is incredibly beneficial for my mental health. It helps keep me fit, physically and mentally, as well as socially. I also find it fascinating and enlightening to walk in my character's shoes; it teaches me a lot and keeps me open-minded to other people's beliefs, motivations and characteristics. It’s also a great release, my chance to express myself freely.

What motivated you to support West Sussex Mind?

We chose to support West Sussex Mind as it is a local charity to our play - with the play being held in Goring - and we know about the brilliant work you do.

We also know that here is there is a huge demand for mental health support, combined with a large gap in funding. I had to wait 11 months to see a therapist (not with West Sussex Mind) when I was having a tough time a few years ago. It’s a big issue and we know that West Sussex Mind does a huge amount to help people. The response from your team has been nothing short of outstanding.

Do you or anyone you know have personal experience with mental health issues? Did this influence your decision to support West Sussex Mind?

Both David and I have struggled at times in the past. David has been open about his struggles and how he tends to bury things rather than deal with them - something a lot of men do.

Personally I had a very tough time after my friend Sean died. It hit me hard and at the same time my relationship ended, sending me into a spiral; it’s been tough at times and it’s still hard to talk about.

But talking, doing the play, it’s cathartic, a type of therapy: if Alan and Justin can talk to each other even when they can’t stand each other, and that can help them both, it kind of proves that talking about these issues works. What you see on stage is very intimate and deeply personal, parts of me are Alan.

It also really hits home when audience members share their own experiences with us afterwards; it’s truly humbling that what we do resonates so well with people.

What are your plans for the future for Past Tents?

We’re having a rest over Christmas whilst we plan next year. It’s incredibly expensive to tour the play, so we are trying to get some funding. Sadly we don’t qualify for many grants, but we really want to keep spreading our message.

We will be attempting to show next year in Goring again and we are on the look-out for new acts and sponsorship for the night and we hope to raise more funds for charity. If anyone wants to support the night, please contact pasttentsplay@gmail.com.

Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Firstly, I'd like to thank the Elephant In The Room team for their support, special thanks to Richard Giddy. No stone was left unturned in putting the night together and it would not have been possible without him.

I would also like to thank Matt of ML Autoworks who sponsored the play and Worthing town crier Bob Smytherman. Another thank you to the donors of our raffle prizes, our performers, technicians, the amazing volunteers, the charities West Sussex Mind and Andy's Man Club and all those who came to support the night.

Here at West Sussex Mind, we would like to say a big thank you to co-creators Seth Jones and David J Keogh, for supporting our work with their play