Out of Character presents Voices of Reason

‘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…

The performance of Voices of Reason begins at 12.30pm. Please join us in the atrium from 12.00pm for a performance from Communitas choir who will be led by Chris Bartram and Esther Griffiths.

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.

Communitas is Converge’s choir comprising of people who experience mental ill health, NHS staff, university students and staff.

Venue

Atrium – 12.00pm – 12.30pm – Communitas Choir

Auditorium: 12.30pm – 2.00pm – Out of Character Performance

Covid consideration on Campus

Your comfort and safety is our highest priority and we have put a number of measures in place so that everyone has an experience that is safe, secure and enjoyable.

Please remain considerate of others and follow the guidelines below whilst on our campus

• You are required to wear a face covering at this performance. Face coverings are also expected in communal areas inside University buildings

• Please take a lateral flow Covid test the day before accessing our campus, even if you are fully vaccinated. Tests are free and available online, at our York campus test site and from local pharmacies.

• Use hand sanitising stations on campus and regularly wash your hands.

• Updated Covid FAQs can be found on our website.

Events Access & Inclusivity

At York St John University we are committed to making our events as welcoming and inclusive for as many people as possible.

If you are planning to attend one of our events and have specific access requirements, please contact us by e: events@yorksj.ac.uk or t: 01904 876248 and we will make every effort to accommodate you.

If you need a suitable seat reserved for you (and companions), please let us know, preferably at least one week before the event. Sign language interpreters and real-time captioning may be requested in advance. Please contact us as soon as possible (ideally at least 3 weeks before the date of the event) if you require either BSL interpretation or captioning. We will try our best but cannot guarantee provision.