DISEMPOWERMENT, teenage suicide and young people lacking a voice are central themes of the high-energy, physical performance of Fall Out by Highly Sprung Performance Co, which opens at The Courtyard on Friday, November 4.

“We work with thousands of young people throughout the country each year and have seen a rise in their anxiety levels and the pressures being put on them. We wanted to make a performance that could start conversations between teachers, teenagers and parents and stop this growing trend of mental ill-health,” says Mark Worth, who wrote Fall Out.

Set in a nightclub, Fall Out focuses on the story of three young people whose night out leads to self-discovery, tested friendships and loyalty. The piece was written in response to a growing concern that more young people are becoming disempowered, that they no longer have a voice or control over their own futures. Suicide rates amongst young people have risen in recent years and statistics suggest that 33% of young people (aged 16-24) consider taking their own lives.

Highly Sprung co-director Sarah Worth says: “Fall Out is about young people searching for their voice through adolescence to adulthood. Focused at a young audience, it looks at issues that aren’t easily discussed at home or at school, and are therefore often swept under the carpet. Fall Out gives the audience a chance to face these issues head on, in a positive way.”

Highly Sprung will be offering workshops, developed with guidance from mental health organisations Young Minds and Service Six, at local schools focusing on the exploration of mental health and well being in young people.

Fall Out is at The Courtyard on Friday, November 4 at 8pm. To book, call the box office on 01432 340555 or visit courtyard.org.uk