Ruby’s acerbic, honest humour and Judith Owen’s touching songs are both poignant and laugh-out-loud funny. This show gives you the chance to explore the ups and downs of mental illness, its stigmas and the freedom you discover when you share the darkest moments of your life.
I haven’t laughed that much in a long time, a powerfully honest display. Her wacky wobbly performance takes you the through the intial concept of ‘being a bit different growing up’ to the inexplicable grey slab of a brain she ended up with after a nervous breakdown (it happened at her childrens sports day whilst other ladies where talking about shiffon dresses and cups of tea, she fell down and explained she was just smelling the grass). Her piano playing sidekick Judith provides moving intervals between each story and Ruby often cuts her off, demostrating her need to be the favourite, Judith just sits there and takes it. 1 in 4 of us will experience this paralysing disease at some point in our lives. Each line is a hilarity and she is able to laugh at her own desperate need to be the centre of attention (frantically ripping out pages in Hello magazine). I wish I could get my hands on a copy of the script as she exlpores all the notions of fragility in human beings that we are sometimes just to proud to admit. She has always been a favourite for me & my mum, writing for Ab Fab and various other comedy performances.
She explains that instead of us being good at something and ending up well known for it, we just want to be well known and skip the skill part.
Ruby previously studied psychology at the University of Berkeley, California and is currently undertaking her Master’s at Oxford University, studying the mind.
” When people ask me how I am doing I say: Oh just like you, nurturing my ego, dealing with idea of death and trying not to feel lonely, would you like a cup of tea?” – Brilliant.
