Home / Arts and Entertainment / Comedian Navigates Bipolar, Nun Habits, and LARP
Comedian Navigates Bipolar, Nun Habits, and LARP
1 Apr
Summary
- Show explores unmedicated bipolar disorder during a LARP event.
- Comedian questions if medication hinders artistic greatness.
- Performance blends standup with theatre, feeling raw and personal.
Scout Boxall's latest standup show, 'God's Favourite,' offers a unique blend of comedy and theatre, inviting audiences into a personal narrative of mental health. The performance centers on a challenging night when Boxall experienced withdrawal from bipolar medication while attending a LARP (live-action roleplay) wedding, leading to a distorted sense of reality.
As Boxall dons a hand-sewn 14th-century nun's habit, the show loosely navigates between historical figures, everyday activities like Wordle, and past psychiatric consultations. This fragmented storytelling mirrors the disorienting experience of being unmedicated after 12 years, prompting reflections on the past.
The narrative also explores Boxall's past academic achievements and questions whether medication might suppress the "greatness" that could stem from intense experiences. This existential query is framed by the historical context of martyrs and the accessibility of modern treatments.
'God's Favourite' is characterized by its polished yet raw delivery, where precise staging supports candid storytelling. The show encourages contemplation on sidelined historical women, community, neurodivergence, and self-acceptance, ultimately posing the question of whether artistic genius necessitates personal suffering.
