Daniel films miniseries looking at impact of lockdown on mental health on teenager

Daniel Heath (20) is one of ten young actors from Peer Productions’ Actor Development Programme performing in 50 Days: Alone Together, which launched last week.

It follows the lives of a small class of year 12 pupils as they check in, via video conferencing software, with their form tutor over the first 50 days of lockdown.

50 Days: Alone Together is available to view for free on YouTube. It also is supported by a website full of resources for parents, carers and teachers and an Instagram account which breaks the series down into bite-size content for young people (@50daysalonetogether).

The series is timely, as research shows that the pandemic is having a negative impact on the mental health of young people.

A report by the National Youth Agency found that one million young people (8–19) have self-reported mental health issues, and the report expressed concern about the impact of the pandemic on the youth suicide rate, which is already high, and the ‘normalisation of self-harm’.

The report estimated that there are around two million young people with emerging needs triggered or caused by COVID-19, and many more with hidden or unforeseen consequences from the pandemic.

Daniel, who plays the character Jacob who is gay but hasn’t come out yet, says: “I loved playing Jacob, who is fun, lively and carefree, but it was challenging trying to find a nuanced portrayal of a gay character in such a short space of time.

“Lockdown has caught up with me slowly, but when it did it ruined some friendships with people, because I’m not good at maintaining a friendship over text.

“I need to see people face to face.”

Daniel credits The Peterborough Revellers, an amateur dramatics society who put on a regular calendar of shows in the city, for getting him interested in drama.

Daniel, who joined the group when he was 13, added:“I started doing tech and stagehand work, and I first went on stage in 2015 as part of a Halloween Variety Show.

“I loved my last role, playing Mole in Wind in the Willows in 2019.”