Alys Williams’ remarkable ‘The Light House’ – which deals with challenging themes in an entertaining and nuanced way – has won a string of five-star reviews and it’s coming to ARC in Stockton in early May.

Plays with mental health issues pushed up front and centre can be tricky to pull off: sometimes overly-preachy, sometimes overly-worthy, and sometimes, dare-I-say-it, overly-boring. But ‘The Light House’ manages to avoid all these pitfalls with nimble aplomb. It tells the autobiographical tale of Alys Williams and her relationship with her partner Nathan. They’re friends at first, then they fall in love, but that love is then tested when Nathan tries to kill himself. We then get a heart-in-your-mouth exploration of what it’s like to care for someone who is severely depressed. It’s a tender and vulnerable piece, but Williams also finds room for humour in her telling, which makes ‘The Light House’ even more relatable and compelling. And, ultimately, this a story about hope. JL

The Light House, Friday 8 May, ARC, Stockton, 7pm, pay what you decide, arconline.co.uk