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Steve Whiteley: A Mind Full

 
Paul Fisher Cockburn Review by Paul Fisher Cockburn 3 Published: 6 Aug 2025 Just the Tonic at The Mash House Show Dates: 31 Jul 2025-11 Aug 2025

There’s a genuinely rough “work in progress” feel to Steve Whiteley’s A Mind Full, not least when he’s bantering with his tech guy over missed cues or missing picture files.

If you don’t laugh in Whiteley’s company, there’s little hope for you

Given Whiteley’s relatively recent diagnosis of ADHD, this doesn’t necessarily come as either a surprise or an issue; in fact, it feels appropriate, given his relatively early “morning after the night before” time slot and his location in what feels like the attic of one of the Old Town’s most atmospheric venues.

A Mind Full is part stand-up, part confessional. Time and again Whiteley holds onto his microphone with both hands – like a singer emoting a ballad – as he explains how he’s tried down the years to fill the void he’s long felt inside.

Coping mechanisms over the years have included drugs, money, music and film production, therapy, meditation and even (believe it or not) performing stand-up in order to find some validation and emotional stability. Some of these worked for a time, others were less successful – a few were frankly just embarrassing. (Comedy is not one of those: if you don’t laugh in Whiteley’s company, there’s little hope for you.)

In terms of the show’s narrative arc, Whiteley is now much more self-aware than he used to be: understanding his intimacy problems and their root cause. He’s now more often in “rest and digest” mode than “fight or flight”, which may be odd for a stand-up, but is a valuable lesson nonetheless – not all laughs have to come from a stressed place.

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The Blurb:

A Mind Full is the story of one man's healing journey, from chasing dopamine and dreams to moving into a Buddhist community and trying (badly) to meditate. Blending stand-up, storytelling and theatrical moments, A Mind Full explores what happens when a wide boy with ADHD and impulse issues goes full mindfulness. Along the way: spiritual bypassing, compulsive behaviour and the ongoing tension between craving peace and needing the spotlight. A raw, funny and painfully relatable look at what happens when you try to heal... and your brain has other plans.