The HSE has welcomed the success of ‘The Mirror Stage’, which completed its run of performances to full houses at the Project Arts Theatre in Dublin last week and goes on to Cork’s Everyman Theatre for one performance tomorrow November 18.
Presented by the Brokentalkers theatre company, ‘The Mirror Stage’ was created with and inspired by those who have lived through psychosis.
‘The Mirror Stage’ is a collaboration between people with lived experience, PhD students researching psychosis and Brokentalkers, as a company versed in creating theatre that fosters empathy and promotes advocacy. It is also associated with PSI-STAR (a project led by led by Prof. David Cotter, Dr. Mike Watts, Prof. Agnes Higgins and Prof Mary Cannon, see: https://psistarstudy.eu/), a cross-disciplinary PhD psychosis research training programme involving the RCSI, UCD, UCC, DCU, TCD, Galway University and Queen’s University Belfast.
Congratulating all involved in ‘The Mirror Stage’, Linda Moore (Head of Service/Mental Health, Dublin South and Wicklow, HSE Dublin and South East) said:
“For people with mental health issues, their families and friends, peer-led initiatives are a positive in recovery and ongoing support and the HSE continues to provide resources in this respect. We are delighted, therefore, to note the success of ‘The Mirror Stage’ as a work that challenges stigma and deepens understanding.”
Brokentalkers invited people with lived experience of psychosis to answer a simple question: “When you imagine a theatre show about psychosis, what do you see on stage?”. The answers are memories and stories that have been woven together with movement, music and visual imagery.
Feidlim Cannon and Gary Keegan’s resultant play features a company of dancers who interpret these memories and stories. The performance created, as such, attempts the impossible – to make the invisible visible and the unspeakable speak.
The ‘The Mirror Stage’ run at the Project Arts Centre has included Irish Sign Language interpreted and audio described performances.
For the post-show talk, following its penultimate performance in the Project Arts Centre, one of those invited to address the audience was Dr. Donal O'Keeffe (Recovery Coordinator, Dublin South and Wicklow mental health services, HSE Dublin and South East).
The success of the ‘The Mirror Stage’ is reflected in a four stars out of five review by Chris McCormack for the Irish Times, which described it as ‘an ‘unflinchingly real experiences of losing contact with reality’ and ‘illuminating’. The Irish Examiner, in its review by Alan O’ Riordan, said “With The Mirror Stage, Brokentalkers again remind us that theatre can do more than simply tell us about others’ experiences – it can represent them in evocative and beautiful ways. A powerful experience”.
‘The Mirror Stage’ is funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and the Health Research Board Ireland through a Knowledge Translation Award “Psychosis in the Theatre” to RCSI Department of Psychiatry and PSI-STAR. It is Co-Produced by the Project Arts Centre, The Everyman, Cork and supported by the FutureNeuro Research Ireland Centre for Translational Brain Science, field:arts and CoisCéim Dance Theatre.
Last updated on: 17 / 11 / 2025
