All Ray wanted was a nice, safe office job... Instead, he’s working on the locked ward of a psychiatric hospital, out of his depth and very, very nervous. But he’s struck by the camaraderie of the staff, their care for the patients, and by the patients themselves, beneath whose quirks and delusions he quickly recognises a common humanity. There’s the jumping man, who believes himself the new messiah, and Sandra, a talented artist, whose fantasies conceal an ugly family secret. There are shocks and surprises: the mild, nervous man with whom Ray plays pool was convicted of a vicious killing, and a cocky youngster proves terrified of life outside the ward. The patients’ oddities are plain enough. Those of the staff become apparent only over time. For those who work there, a locked ward is like a pressure cooker, and close teamwork hides a wealth of old alliances, resentments and affairs. It’s a work hard, play hard culture, and it can take a heavy toll... The world of mental health care is a hidden one. Unless you’ve experienced it first hand – either as staff or patient – you’re unlikely to know what it’s really like. The Other Country lays it bare as never before.
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