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Mental health check
A stunning new play on a young woman battling her inner demons raises some acute questions, says PAUL FOLEY
Almighty conflict: Julie Hesmondhalgh and Norah Lopez Holden

The Almighty Sometimes
Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester

AS THE epidemic of childhood mental illness threatens to overwhelm an increasingly tenuous NHS provision, Katy Rudd's production of Kendall Feaver’s perceptive, shocking and beautifully crafted play is timely and urgent.

It not only unravels the severe impact of mental illness on an adolescent on the cusp of adulthood, it also reveals the damage such a profound illness has on carers.

Anna has carried her mental illness like a rusty anchor from her early childhood. Renee, her frightened and anxious mother, tries to “edit” her daughter's life by intervening and directing every important decision.

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