Voices of Reason

Out of Character/Written & Directed by Paul Birch/Performed by Jane Allernach, Christie Louise Barnes, Adam Bell, Colin Benson, Paul Birch, Heather Carter, Jane Corbett, Rob Crowe, Nathan Fearon, Laurie Furnell, Mark Gowland, Wayne Hurton, Sam McAvoy, Paul Murtough, Bekhi Ostrowska, Chloe Timpson & Rachel Wall/Music by Rachel Gray/Sound Design by Matt Seymour/Photos Jackson Portraiture/2021/22

Out of Character present a live multi-sensory audio drama which will transport you into the many worlds of Georgian England.

'We have lost reason in our hearts and we fail to act for fear of the worst’ 

The year is 1812 and York has a dark and dreadful secret. County Magistrate Godfrey Higgins is enjoying a quiet and uneventful life until the truth begins to creep into his respectable world shattering everything he believes in. There follows a series of extraordinary encounters which will not only disturb the polite society of York but the nation itself. 

Voices of Reason is the true and important story of mental health reform which has a powerful resonance for our times. A vast array of colourful characters including a ‘mad’ King, a prophetic vicar and a sinister house-keeper provide a dark winter’s tale with hope at its centre. 

These incredible events have to be heard to be believed… 

Out of Character is an award-winning company of artists and performers comprising of people who use or have used mental health services. Their bold, creative and darkly comedic approach to making theatre aims to stir both the heart and mind. Their last live show, Less Than Human, was co-produced by York Theatre Royal and listed by The Yorkshire Post as one of their top 5 'must-see' shows.