Meet Mark.
“The thing is I’ve got myself into a bit of a mess…”
Mark’s an actor.
“I keep forgetting my lines. I’ve left my girlfriend and I’m beginning to stink.”
Mark was an actor.
“And to make matters worse I’ve met the Devil.”
It’s 1995. Mark Lockyer is playing Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet in Stratford-Upon-Avon. On a sunny afternoon he has nothing to do so decides to get out of town and go for a walk along the bank of the River Avon. An encounter along the way changes things profoundly and forever. From that point, Mark starts to lose control of his life as he abandons a promising career and embarks on a journey along a pathway to hell.
Living with the Lights On is Mark’s story – A terrifying roller coaster ride that takes him through the medical and criminal justice systems, through prison and hospital and on towards eventual recovery. This is a gripping tale of a life lived at the edge, a personal memoir as moving as it is funny, as brutal as it is true.
Mark is testament to the fact that mental illness can happen to anyone, that the bipolar mind is not a deficient one and that, with the right treatment, there can be a life beyond it.
In tandem with the Actor’s Touring Company’s theatre tour, the company will stage Living With The Lights On in medical environments for mental health service users and staff.
Mark Lockyer trained at RADA. His career spans three decades and includes leading roles at The National Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Old Vic, The Young Vic and The Royal Court working with likes of Ken Campbell, Mark Rylance and Sam Mendes. Mark was most recently seen in the Actors Touring Company’s production of Martyr by Marius von Mayenburg directed by Ramin Gray.
Living With The Lights On is at the Lantern Theatre on March 10th and 11th. Tickets can be purchased from the Lantern Theatre Box office on 9151 7030000 or online at www.lanterntheatreliverpool.co.uk.