Sound of Silence
A play that shines the light on the taboo subject of male suicide
This powerful play was inspired when Brian Daniels heard about the suicide of a young father from Yorkshire. Ross McCarty was just 31 years old when he took his life, after a ten year battle with depression that ended with his being allocated to a six-month long waiting list for treatment. He was survived by his fiancée, four year old son, his parents, brother and sister. The play has been written and produced with the blessing of Ross’s family as Ross asked them, in a poignant last letter, to campaign for better mental health support and services for those who suffer as he did.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Ross’s father, Mike, said, “"My family and I know that our lives will never be the same again. Losing Ross is unbearably painful but we are heartened beyond words to think that something so positive can come from our tragedy and the tragedy of thousands of others.
"I believe that this play can help shine a light on something that is largely overlooked. We are so grateful to Brian Daniels for his care and humanity in researching our story and for being bold enough to present a play based on a subject which has remained taboo for far too long."
Ross’s story is a story repeated far too often, as suicide continues to be the number one cause of death amongst adult men under 50 in the UK. Globally, the World Health Organisation estimated that in 2019 one person took their own life every 40 seconds. By focusing on Ross’s story, Brian’s play, with compassion and humanity, has the profound power to deepen people’s understanding of these challenging issues and experiences.
“We are so grateful to Brian Daniels for his care and humanity in researching our story and for being bold enough to present a play based on a subject which has remained taboo for far too long.”
Read an interview with Brian Daniels in The Yorkshire Post here
Lab4living hosted the first public performance of the play (then called ‘Is the Patient breathing?.
Read what they said about it here
Or watch a video about the play below…
