Theatre / Reviews
Review: I’m Actually Fine, Alma Tavern & Theatre – ‘A collection of raw, candid songs and monologues on mental health’
I’m Actually Fine! is an hour-long show of beautifully crafted songs and monologues exploring the many frontiers of mental health, as well as preconceived notions about ‘manliness’.
Written and performed by the Bristol-based comedian and singer-songwriter Harry Creffield, and produced by Crumplehorn Theatre, the show takes the viewers on a rollercoaster journey with a cathartic ending.
It is almost impossible to assign Creffield a musical genre. Just imagine Weird Al Yankovic rolled into Bob Dylan with a dash of Ricky Gervais. When he first walked onto the stage with a half-filled bottle of water and an easy manner, it’s fair to say the audience were not ready for what was to follow.
is needed now More than ever
Harry Creffield, who stars in I’m Actually Fine, Crumplehorn Theatre – photo: Aadil Kurji
Expertly strumming the acoustic guitar, Creffield takes the audience into his very personal world, searing with self-deprecation and self-discovery, but through ridiculously catchy tunes.
It’s an effective way of reaching people: he invites them to laugh, and to think about his – and ultimately their own – anxieties and insecurities.
Creffield opens up too on his own perception of masculinity, and the hypocrisy that so often surrounds expectations of gender and sexuality, saying that even the most heterosexual men would gladly fancy Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
He calls his partner his rock and the centre of his emotional stability. Amidst the plethora of mental health issues he is facing on a day-to-day basis, he sees the redeeming and sustaining powers of love.
I’m Actually Fine!, Crumplehorn Theatre – photo: Katie Morris
Despite the sometimes debilitating mental health issues he faces, it’s poignant and uplifting to see Creffield explore them with both sincerity and laughter. His honesty is also an open invitation to others not to suffer in silence due to the societal expectations, but instead to open up about mental health struggles and seek help.
Creffield says he has a crab in his head and bursts into a stinging number at his own expense. Is it Body Dysmorphia or Do I Just Look Like S**t? is another poignant moment, where the anxiety surrounding his appearance is utterly interrogated.
His monologues are razor-blade witty, observant and rip-roaringly funny. According to Creffield, the project has been six months in the making; his demonstrable musical skill in singing and playing provides a gleaming finish to the act.
The play ends with the clear and sound advice to the audience, and especially young people: “to make mental health your priority, whatever you do in life”. And, for Creffield at least, it ends with the reassuring conclusion that, “I’m actually fine!”
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Main photo: Aadil Kurji
Read more: Review: The Last Vagabonds, Alma Tavern & Theatre – ‘A brilliant and compelling piece of theatre’
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