THIS is the preview of the stunningly original production that opens next Friday for three weeks at the prestigious Edinburgh Festival.

Written by talented local Hampshire playwright Sally Lewis, this is the harrowing yet compelling story of what happens in Glasgow in 2014.

Grimly humorous, deeply thought-provoking, and effectively “stream of consciousness” in style, the play features four very different characters, each played by the same wonderful solo performer/producer Neil Gwynne.

Lighting is simple yet evocative, music is hauntingly atmospheric, and Gwynne owns the stage. His accents – from Polish to Scottish, military English to caring pastoral – are utterly convincing.

In this short 50-minute play, male mental health is explored in depth with characters of different ages, nationalities and backgrounds, with “the worst scars being those you cannot see”.

This inspirational drama explores the “macho,” habit of not really discussing problems, keeping a very “stiff upper lip” on emotions, and ignoring potentially serious and catastrophic consequences.

Whereas three out of four suicides are committed by men, and self-harm the biggest cause of death for men under 35, males have much lower access to the social support network of friends, relatives, and the general community.

Despite the potentially dour subject matter, Sally Lewis’s harrowing compelling script is edgy and dramatic, revealing unexpected gritty humour.

Her previous successful Edinburgh Festival play How Is Uncle John, based on international sex trafficking, received powerful praise. This work may well equal it.

Brendan McCusker