The Littlest Bit Happier was an autobiographical performance I created for a module at university. The performance was created during a darker time in my life, I knew I wanted to create a show for other people, therefore I wanted to create something relatable and knowledgeable to the public eye. I started thinking about the concept for the performance when someone told me to “smile” whilst walking through the city of York; a phrase that no-one who is depressed or going through a hard time needs to hear. What that person wanted me to do was pretend to be happy, like a clown. I understand that I’m not a clown and that I am a person, however I thought it was important to fully encapsulate the feeling of pretending to be happy, much like a clown might.

I tried to think about every little thing that makes me happy and somehow take it into the performance. We all strive to become the littlest bit happier and therefore that was my goal by the end of the process, the performance featured a list of things that make me happy. I used this performance as a way of discussing mental health.

If I were to describe the performance in one sentence, I would say this: “It’s not okay to assume someone isn’t happy. Because someone’s ‘not happy’ could be a particularly good day for them. And you will have just ruined that person’s day and set their mental health back.”

Luckily my mental health has improved since the performance, but The Littlest Bit Happier stands a performance that explores all elements of being happy and that mental health doesn’t just represent happiness.