As the title suggests, this is a show about Ruby Wax losing her mind, her marbles, her grip on reality, her will to live or whatever you want to call it.The show opens with Ruby sitting on her red carpet in her red chair, calmly sipping tea and chatting to her accompanist Judith Owen. She proceeds to chart the manifestation of her depression. But hey, this is comedy, folks! The subject of the show may be serious but it is tackled in Ruby Wax's classic comedic style. Brash, honest and funny, her persona is of a strong, sassy woman who does and says whatever the hell she wants.An energetic mixture of autobiographical and observational material keeps the show dynamic, and her impressions are particularly hilarious, especially the one of her Jewish mother scaring her friends away from the house. Her comedic sections are interspersed with musical songs from Judith Owen whose smooth style make you feel as if you’ve been transported to some smoky jazz club, as well as shifting the tone from funny to sombre.When Ruby acts out her breakdown, it is truly moving and affecting, forming a mutual understanding between Ruby and the audience. She has achieved the difficult task of making comedy out of tragedy, and as well as laughter she conveys the need to tackle the taboo surrounding mental health issues. This show may be called Losing It, but its main intention is to help and empower other people in the same situation.
