A story worth getting behind
What happens when life throws you a curveball, cancer enters the room, and the only sensible response is sometimes to laugh? That is the question behind My Favourite Chair, a six-part comedic musical drama being developed here in Great Yarmouth, and one I'd like you to get behind. The full story of the project, and of the man whose experience inspired it, is on our My Favourite Chair page. Here I want to say why I think it matters.
Why a comedy
There is something wonderfully human about humour in the face of adversity. It doesn't make the difficult things disappear, but it can make them easier to face. Anyone who has lived through a serious diagnosis, their own or someone else's, will know the uncertainty, the waiting, and the conversations nobody quite knows how to have. They will also know the moments when dark humour becomes an essential survival tool. My Favourite Chair is built on those moments. It finds laughter in unlikely places and strength where people didn't know they had any, and it recognises that life carries on being complicated, ridiculous, heartbreaking and wonderful, often all at the same time.
Why it matters
Cancer doesn't just happen to an individual. It happens to families, friends, neighbours and communities. We often talk about community support as though it were an optional extra, yet when people face a life-changing diagnosis, the people around them can make an enormous difference: a neighbour, a friend, a local group, someone who makes you laugh, or simply someone who turns up. Sometimes the most important medicine is knowing that you aren't facing it alone. *My Favourite Chair* wants to capture that reality with honesty, warmth and a healthy dose of mischief, and to use storytelling to open up conversations about cancer that many of us find hard to start.
The project itself proves the point. The YouTube film already shared with the public was made possible through the goodwill, enthusiasm and generosity of local people, who gave their time, talents and ideas because they believe this story is worth telling. Now there is an opportunity to take the next step, and a GoFundMe appeal has been launched to pay for it.
So, whether you have been touched by cancer yourself, supported someone through it, or simply believe that good stories can make a difference, we'd love you to be part of this journey. Please read more and support the appeal on the My Favourite Chair page and help us get it out of the starting blocks. Sometimes the best stories come from the most unexpected places, and sometimes all you need is a favourite chair, good company and a reason to laugh.