Q&A with Will Fletcher from The Girl Who Fell

### **Will Fletcher** (Lenny in [***The Girl Who Fell***](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/play/4160/the-girl-who-fell-tickets.aspx)) Q&A **1.** *The Girl Who Fell* has the very serious and sensitive topic of suicide at its core - why do you think it's important for works to focus on difficult subjects such as suicide and mental health? **Will:** Teenage life can be very intense sometimes. The pressures of growing up and trying to find out who you are can be very overwhelming. I certainly remember being very anxious and constantly just wanting to fit in and seem normal when I was growing up! Acknowledging that we all feel a bit lost sometimes is so important. I think cracking open these issues and starting conversations can help. I think that’s what the play does— without ever being earnest or depressing. **2.** Do you think that the characters provide something for audiences to relate to, particularly those that find mental health and suicide a sensitive issue? **W:** I hope so. We should all find it a sensitive issue, and all the more reason to confront it head-on. I found myself pulling a lot of what I’d already experienced as the 15-year-old me into Lenny in rehearsals. Our brilliant director **Hannah Price** took what we brought to the table and created a piece that I think handles these sensitive issues with great care and respect — but also with humour and humanity. **3.** Despite its dark nature, this play is extremely funny. Is this a purposeful tactic to soften the heaviness of its core subject, or do you find it an accurate portrayal of real life? **W:** Coincidentally, a number of us in the cast and creative team have had recent experience of loss — and we’ve all found that a lot of laughter tends to bubble up through the darkest moments. I don’t think this softens anything — sometimes the opposite — but it is deeply human and it’s another way of cutting through the reverence that sometimes prevents us from experiencing things directly and viscerally. **4.** This play takes a look at the internet and social media and the effects and strains that it can have on mental health. Do you find that social media plays a part in declining mental health? **W:** Social media is in its infancy and we have a lot to learn about how to handle its role in our lives. What we look at in *The Girl Who Fell* is not just teenage behaviour online — which tends to get a lot of attention — but also the behaviour of parents, trying to grasp their way through an online world that they didn’t grow up with. **5.** The Girl Who Fell is playing to West End audiences, night after night - what do you think audiences are taking away from this play? **W:** Well, an audience member fainted in our first preview, so people are clearly having some kind of experience! It’s a short play in a very intimate space, so people are up close and personal with **Claire Goose**, **Rosie Day**, **Navin Chowdhry** and myself. Hopefully, you laugh, cry and then laugh again. Even better, it’s sparking conversations between young and old, and that’s great to see. **6.** In three words, why do you think people should book tickets for *The Girl Who Fell*? **W:** Great night out! * * * ## Save up to £17 on *The Girl Who Fell* Trafalgar Studios tickets! Tickets for *The Girl Who Fell* at [**London’s Trafalgar Studios 2**](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/venue/169/trafalgar-studios-2.aspx) are available but act quickly and book yours now to save up to £17. The play directed by **Hannah Price** must end 23 November 2019, so you just have a couple of weeks left to catch it! 🎫 [**Book your *The Girl Who Fell* tickets here**](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/play/4160/the-girl-who-fell-tickets.aspx).