The Beauty of Being Herd - one woman’s quest to feel less alone
In 2017, Leeds local, Ruth Berkoff, had a brain haemorrhage. A perimesencephalic brain haemorrhage. She didn’t know anyone else who’d had one before, so she felt alone.
It got even worse when the neurologist said that there was little chance she’d go back to her dream job (being a gnome, getting people to high five her giant carrot).
Ruth searched the internet for recovery stories by other survivors, to give her some hope. She didn’t find any. So she wrote her own - check it out if you want to find out whether Ruth ever did go back to those carrot high-five days.
Ruth’s blog has been read by thousands and shared by charities like Headway. It’s a lot lighter than you might expect and is jam-packed with LOLs. Fellow survivors have described it as “a real comfort in the first few weeks of recovery when everything felt quite bleak.”
THIS is why she writes - so people feel less alone.
The blog gave her the confidence to write for the stage and in 2020 she created a character called Hannah, who doesn’t understand how to make friends. The character got blended with ideas Ruth had when out walking in the hills and The Beauty of Being Herd was born.
The play is about a woman who’s decided to live as a sheep. (Or is it about the search for human connection?) It’s got original songs (including the banger, “The Thing About Sheep”), many funny moments, and some heart breaking ones too.
Trailer here.
The Beauty of Being Herd is a show to make you feel less alone and it’s suitable for anyone (16+) who has ever felt like an outsider.
The last two shows at Hyde Park Book Club earlier this year sold out fast, so book now to avoid missing out! The Beauty of Being Herd is on at HEART in Headingley on Friday 20th September at 7:30pm. Tickets available here.
Nominated for ‘Best Newcomer’ and ‘Best New Writing’ Greater Manchester Fringe 2024.
Website here.
Audience voxpops reactions: