Dramatic Endeavours

Every year, my parents receive several Round Robins popped inside Christmas cards. Some are informative, fairly unbiased news about the family with little to no bragging, an easy way to catch up friends you rarely see/talk to with your news. Some, however, the majority in fact, are not quite so reserved in their retelling of the events of the year and their family's news. These I love to read. But not for the reasons the writer intended. After reading the worst/most amusing Round Robin my parents' received this year from some old friends from decades ago they never see and I've never met (and to be quite honest, reading the Round Robin, I'm glad of that fact), I decided to pen something of the same vein to share the horror many families are inflicted with in the Christmas cards they get each year. It is, if not the Ultimate then, a Supreme Middle Class Problem. Dear Friends and Family, Well, it’s been a big year for the Smythe family! But every year is.

Before I go on, I feel this post needs a little disclaimer. The books/plays I talk about, I talk about briefly and I'll admit that I haven't done copious amounts of research on each before writing this, though several of them I did study at GCSE/A Level several years ago. But this is a little glimpse on these works and what I have taken from them. It is no way an in-depth study. It is from what we read and watch that we are able to form our understanding of the world. In literature and theatre, many books and plays have attempted to portrayed mental health issues. However, I believe that there are many that have done damage to how mental health issues are understood and the way society perceives them. This legacy is primarily made up of books/plays from the past and all of the examples I cite are. I do think literature and theatre is becoming ever better at discussing mental health issues in a sensitive and understanding manner. As an example, recently I saw The Cow Play by E