Me & Mental Health

Arusi "The Wedding" is the name of the ensemble theatre production created by the Me & Mental Health team with Free Theatre. Me & Mental Health is the initiative of a team of young African Australians in the western suburbs seeking to address the mental health crises within their communities and the cultural challenges in response. Originally designed as a dialogue theatre work, the Covid-19 restrictions have limited the production to a play-reading form for film, with live performances occurring in late 2023.  

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Arusi tells the story of a young guy facing the pressures of his imminent wedding amidst family expectations, financial burdens, and the lingering cloud of Covid. Inspired by Nigerian popular theatre, the play unpacks the cultural complexities around mental health through a powerful character-driven narrative and a comic melodramatic style.