A free performance of the play will take place at 7.15pm on Thursday June 15 at the University of Sheffield Drama Studio.
Devised by award-winning Journalism Studies lecturer, crime author and former journalist Lisa Bradley and television actress Lucy Mizen, the play has been funded by the University of Sheffield and seeks to explore and raise awareness of the impact of trauma on journalists.
The play features a cast of rising stars and west-end veterans from around Yorkshire, including Lucy Mizen (Coronation Street, the Full Monty, Emmerdale), Ian Jervis ( Phantom of the Opera, Oliver!, Made in Dagenham) and Leeds-born theatre actress Ellen Carnazza.
To write Unbreakable, the two co-authors drew on Lisa’s own personal experiences as a regional and national reporter for titles like the Sun and the Wakefield Express, as well as interviews with a wide range for journalists from trainee reporters to war correspondents.
Lucy said: “Lisa and I have been friends for more than 40 years, but this is the first time we’ve ever had the chance to work together.
“Having witnessed first hand the impact crime reporting had on Lisa in the early years of her career, and understanding the power of responsible and ethical journalism in the world, this is an important message to raise awareness to a wider audience.”
The performance comes as part of a wider programme of events hosted by the Journalism Education Trauma Research Group, entitled ‘Living to tell the tale’ - Building Community Resilience in Journalism’.
Dr Lada Price is a Senior Lecturer in Journalism Studies at the University of Sheffield and co-leader of the Journalism Education Trauma Research Group (JETREG). She said:
“The issue of trauma and poor mental health in journalism still carries a lot of stigma in newsrooms - Journalists are reluctant to talk about their own experiences but, as educators and scholars, we have a duty of care to our students and young journalists to prepare them to cope with future challenges in their daily practice.
“The idea behind this play is to engage a diverse community of scholars, journalists, students and members of the public with the issue and raise awareness in an innovative and engaging way that demonstrates the reality in many newsrooms.”
Tickets for Unbreakable are free and can be secured via eventbrite.
