Staying In

Manchester-based artist, Mark Croasdale is putting himself centre stage to raise awareness of World Mental Heath Day by facing a theatre full of strangers and baring all in his solo show, Staying In. 33-year-old Mark is one of the six million people in the UK living with mixed anxiety and periods of depression. Anxiety combined with panic attacks has led the artist to avoid social interactions, decline invitations and stop answering the phone, in turn leading to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Take a look at his carefully curated Instagram feed however, and you’d never know. Staying In, invites audiences to experience a typical evening in with the artist – beyond the glamour of his colourful Instagram account. It’s a surprisingly comical story full of face masks, cups of tea, binge eating biscuits and some illuminating truths about his experience of mental health in relation to his sexuality.