This was the name of an Adelaide Fringe show we saw last night. And quite possibly the best one we’ve seen.

It is, in essence, the love story of Bryony Kimmings and Tim Grayburn, with the central protagonist depression, a mental illness suffered by Tim, which unbelievably can still be taboo today.

Bryony and Tim

It begins with how they met, moved in together and then Bryony’s discovery of Tim’s medication hidden in a rucksack. And then everything unravels – the story, the set and the couple – as they act out the effect Tim’s illness has on them both. Throughout the performance we hear snippets of recording as Tim explains his seemingly benign childhood, when and how his behaviour changed and the impact it had, culminating in a breakdown at the dinner table one night and his mother sending him off to the doctors. Tim is quickly prescribed anti-depressants with little information, let alone anything about the side effects they will have, and remains on these for six years, covertly, before meeting Bryony.

It was a powerful performance, punctuated with humour, dance, song, interesting head wear and the kind of raw emotion rarely seen these days because it was real, it was happening and it is there. And this rawness connected the audience, an almost tangible sense of acceptance and understanding because let’s face it, depression is not something most people can, like or will talk about – it’s best kept in a box. Open it we say.