Despite a lifelong struggle with severe mental illness, Paul Fredrick Robinson is now performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company and says defiantly: I’m alive but I’ve met some monsters.
He opened up about the help that the charity Improving Lives has given him for the past six years and says without the charity, he would most likely be dead. Improving Lives is a Nottingham Based Charity that helps people with complex and social needs. The charity was formed in 2012 and is based at the International Community Centre on Mansfield Road.
Paul says he’s had many diagnoses but refuses to be labelled. “I don’t want to be labelled but I understand I have severe difficulties," he said. "Before I received help from Improving Lives, I tried to own my condition, I tried improving my temperament and to remove myself from certain situations.”
Now in performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the 57-year-old has spoken out about his journey through dark times. The 57-year-old grew up in the Radford Arboretum area and went to the Mundella School in the Meadows where he discovered acting.
Paul who suffers from hallucinations has struggled with this since childhood. He doesn’t want to live his life as a victim however, he said: “I’m a fighter, not a victim, I’m 57 and I’m alive but I’ve met some monsters.”
Currently Paul is working for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Henry the 6th where he plays the mayor of St Albans and is also an understudy for one of the main characters. When performing in Stratford Upon Avon, all Paul's expensive are paid for.
This isn’t his first performance and has also been in: Our Country’s Good and There’s Been a Murder. He continued and said: “Without Improving Lives, I think I’d be either dead or receiving unnecessary treatment.
"I have a lot of criticism about the system and one thing is race. For black males especially when it comes to their mental health, they get dismissed a lot, mental health affects us all but it isn’t treated with the same level of seriousness as physical health."
Paul spoke more about the help Improving Lives has given him. He said: “Improving Lives has helped me in many ways from helping with utility bills to taking me out and connecting me to places. They’ve always encouraged me and are always 101% behind me, they don’t get paid enough or have enough resources.”
Before coming to the charity, Paul was surprised at how quickly he received help from staff. He said: “I was recommended receiving hep from Improving Lives by a psychotherapist. I phoned them [Improving Lives] up and I was surprised when they got back to me, I thought they’d see me and just send me home with some tablets.”
This wasn’t the case however and since 2016, Paul has been a user of the charity and still keeps in contact with staff. It was through Improving Lives that Paul started acting with the Nottingham Playhouse. Before this, Paul’s mental illness meant he was detached and he thought the world hated him, now he can’t believe he’s an amateur actor.
Paul explained what it’s like when performing and said: “I use my mental illness when performing, it’s like an out of body experience, but I researched all about my role before I started it.
A spokesperson for Improving Lives has said: “It’s wonderful to see Paul and see his potential. It’s lovely to see how far he’s come. We support people and it’s an individualised service, anything to do with mental health and the impact mental health has on people’s lives such as housing issues, we help people believe that they can find their potential.”
