REBUS Theatre’s latest outing, “Systems and Sanity,” is a show that challenges traditional thinking about the mental health system.

Supported by the ACT Health Promotion Grants Program, it’s a devised theatre exploration that comes out of nearly two years of discussion, workshopping, writing, and rehearsal with people experiencing mental health challenges, it travels through trauma and distress, navigating sometimes-rigid social systems, to ends up with the resilience of survivors.

Director of the show Robin Davidson tells me that there’s no overarching narrative in “Systems and Sanity”, which is rather a series of scenes exploring different aspects of mental illness.

“Given the intensity of some elements, it’s a remarkably fun show,” he tells me, “with almost every scene in a different theatrical style, so there’s poetry and songs and object manipulation which are sometimes fun, and sometimes deeply moving.”

There’s one funny scene about trying to get attention at a mental health referral service with many phones ringing simultaneously in the context of  severe understaffing.

Another “beautiful” scene, he says,  is wordless, tracing the difficulty of getting up in the morning – “just movement and music”.

And then there’s a scene, using heightened poetic language with multiple voices about the experience of psychosis and being in a psychiatric ward.

Davidson says the play is a journey from individual experiences of distress to the integration of those experiencing mental health with other people and with the natural world.

Working with Melissa Gryglewski, Rebus’ professional well-being officer-actor-tutor who looks after the emotional wellbeing of the cast, he found that of the cast have experienced trauma, so it was sometimes a bit close to the bone.

Among the cast members are two quite experienced performers, but others are quite new to performing. There have been 20 people involved in the process but there will be seven on stage.

An element of optimism pervades the whole work, Davidson says, as we hear the stories and the real-life experiences.

He points out that while “Systems and Sanity” is a work staged for an audience, what  Rebus does is not just about putting on plays.

“I guess our work is a constant learning process as we find out how to work in ways which are more trauma-informed.”

For instance, the booking information tells us that there are no fluorescent lights in the Ralph Wilson theatre at Gorman House, but in the main hall and the courtyard at Gorman Arts Centre there are – this is because they’ve found a number of people with sensitivity to fluorescent light, which can create migraines and anxiety.

As well, we read, “Most of ‘Systems and Sanity’ takes place in the Ralph Wilson Theatre at Gorman Arts Centre, however the opening scene takes place in the Main Hall, and the closing scene takes place outside in the courtyard, a distance of some 20 metres. The audience will be standing for about four minutes for the final scene. There are wheelchair accessible pathways between these places. Please let us know if you may need assistance travelling this distance, or will need to sit for the final scene… Rebus welcomes fully trained and registered assistance animals into the theatre.”

And since it’s a short season, the show will also be live streamed from June 19 to July 2 here

“Systems and Sanity,” Main Hall at Gorman Arts Centre and The Ralph Wilson Theatre, June 15-17. Some sessions are Auslan Interpreted or presented with audio description. For details of those visit rebustheatre.com