Because: One Man, Two Voices, and the Fight to Stay Whole

Because is a powerful solo theatre show exploring undiagnosed mental illness through the story of a chronic overthinker whose coping strategies are tested by past traumas. Written and performed by Hassan Govia, the show digs deep into themes of mortality, masculinity, privilege, and the complex voice of self-talk.

We spoke to Hassan ahead of the show’s run at the Edinburgh Fringe. 

For those who haven’t heard of Because yet, how would you sum up the show in one sentence?

It is a harrowing account of a man's fight against becoming his own worst enemy, catalysed by the downfall of his female namesake.

Because deals with heavy themes like mental illness and trauma. What inspired you to write and perform this deeply personal story?

The story wasn't the first thing to come to mind, believe it or not. My initial intention was to challenge myself to craft a solo show that did not rely on a character narrating a story to the audience - that was it! But in working through different ideas, I eventually decided to experiment with having a character unveil a story through a direct conversation with his inner thoughts, which is when is when mental health started to come into play.

Given that I was writing a solo show with the intent to perform in it myself, I knew that it would be more powerful to engage with subject matters that I could personally draw from. Sadly, bullying at school is something that I experienced frequently, and I had yet to pour that into a play... mainly because I didn't want to! But if I was ever going to, this felt like the right story to do that with because those experiences did take a toll on my mental health, and they remain upsetting memories years after the fact, so the themes of mental health and bullying went hand in hand.

In terms of why I chose to perform in it, if you know me as a person you would probably assume that I am not the right person to be the face of a play about mental health, owing to my naturally exuberant personality. This directly coincides with notorious surprise suicides from those no-one knew were suffering (an extremely sad example being Cheslie Kryst, Miss USA 2019), and is exactly why I am the right person to tell this story, not just as a writer, but also as an actor. I am proud of the fact that I have been bold and brave enough to allow the hard-hitting aspects of the play to breathe and ring true without trying to make them funny, despite my natural charisma being humourous to some. Having said that, I have been told that there are funny moments, which is definitely not by design, but also not something I'm going to fight against if that's what people see.

In addition to the artistic, serving the story note, the not so glamorous and self-serving truth is that I am an actor who has had to continuously create my own opportunities to be able to work and Because is no exception, not unlike most other writer / performers who take their work to the Fringe year after year. I have found it incredibly difficult to break through in an industry where my "type" (i.e. who I am as a person) is not inherently castable within the work that is on offer, partly because the nuances of the boxes I fit into need to be fleshed out more, such as being a working class man of colour. What better vessel to do that with in my writing than myself?

How did your own mixed heritage and background influence the themes or characters in Because?

I have deliberately categorised Jade as a British Caribbean man, and his heritage comes through in the play largely with the presence of his mother, a British Caribbean woman, as well as familial and cultural beliefs to do with dream meanings. These are all drawn from personal experience, adding a distinct flair and perspective to a story that I believe is universal and widely relatable.

Also, Because very intentionally engages with undiagnosed mental health, which has a lot to do with coming from a British Caribbean family where there were seldom any open conversations about this despite evidence to suggest that a lot of people were grappling with it. For example, I have had family members who notoriously talked to themselves, which interestingly wasn't the direct inspiration for the theatrical structuring of the story (Jade talking to his inner voice), but it became something I thought more about throughout the process once the play's identity started to take shape.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in creating a solo show that’s so emotionally raw and intimate?

It actually hasn't been a difficult show to perform thus far from an emotional place, and I think that has a lot to do with how I have employed the personal inspiration within the piece. As I said before, it wasn't an easy or comfortable decision to lean into themes like bullying that I have been personally affected by, but Because is not a literal retelling of my life; it is a piece of drama, or dare I even say horror, that has been inspired by personal experience. I'm not sure I would be the right person to play Jade if Because was more autobiographical than it is because the emotional recall alone could be dangerous, quite frankly.

The difficulties have been more to do with the technical aspects of the show, making sure a narrative that is meant to be disorienting does not end up being confusing because of a lack of clarity in the storytelling. We employ a number of devices, including voiceover and multi-rolling, which have to be executed very precisely to facilitate the flow of the performance. From an acting perspective, I think the biggest challenge has been the multi-rolling, as it's very out of my comfort zone, but we're getting there... he says!

The show has been described as “incredibly powerful” by Fringe Review—what’s been the most memorable response you’ve had from audiences so far?

I think finding out that there is humour in this play has been quite surprising, as that is something that has been acknowledged for the most part by people I have had the opportunity to speak to who have watched the show, despite the fact that there was no intention on my end to imbue the piece with humour in any way.

Regarding Fringe Review, it was upon reviewing our Camden Fringe performance where they described it as "incredibly powerful". Huge compliment. However, Paul Levy, the founder and editor from Fringe Review (who was not the person to review our Camden showing) came along to our final preview at the Brighton Fringe, which was so unexpected because I hadn't even invited Fringe Review to Brighton, given that they had already reviewed the show before. After the performance, he graciously gave me the opportunity to speak about the show in a podcast episode, and he said, verbatim, that he was "speechless". That has to be the most memorable thing I have heard verbally. Very kind of him to say, and hopefully significant of the kind of impact that the play will have on Edinburgh audiences... although I do want them to talk about the show afterwards!

Link to podcast: https://fringereview.co.uk/audio-interviews/general/2025/solo-theatre-focus-hassan-govia-on-because/

If Jade could give advice to his younger self, what’s the one thing you think he would say?

I think giving advice to his younger self would be a very hard thing for Jade to do at the time we meet him in the play, given the longstanding effect that his childhood experiences have had on his life. However, I think his inner voice would tell him to stand up for himself and eff (or f*ck if we're allowed to swear) the haters. In fact, his inner voice probably did tell him that when he was younger, but it's likely Jade ignored that advice simply because he wouldn't have known how to act on it, or been too scared to...

Because is at Studio at theSpaceTriplex, 1 – 23 August (not 10 & 17), 15:05 – 15:55.Tickets available at: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/because