Right Before I Go

Right Before I Go is written and performed by Stan Zimmerman. Following the suicide of his close friend Kevin, Zimmerman wanted to help break the myths, shame and often deafening silence surrounding suicide.

The show is a staged reading featuring four other performers frequently  using  the real suicide notes of people who have completed or attempted suicide. Alongside are startling facts and figures, as well as reflections on the impact suicide has on loved ones. These include  celebrities, young people, ex-military personnel and members of the LGBT+ community.

Zimmerman is a successful American television producer, director and screenwriter whose credits include Roseanne and the "Girls" both Golden and Gilmore. He clearly has the talent to approach this serious subject with the sensitivity and care it requires.

Using his own experience of loss, his reaction to Kevin's death and his suicide note as a thread running throughout the show, Zimmerman manages to be the golden thread, pulling everything together. You can feel how personal a mission this is for him as he tries to make sense of what happened.

The staging is stark, with the actors lined up as readers behind lecterns. This forces the audience to focus on the words of the notes themselves. The effect can be profound.

As someone who has lost a very close family member to suicide, I found parts of the performance emotionally challenging. At times, it resurfaced some of the conflicting feelings of loss and anger that I experienced at the time.

As a mental health nurse of more than 40 years, I have encountered many of the themes explored in the show and  welcome the space it creates for people to listen, reflect and try to understand. 

Each performance is followed by a debrief and question-and-answer session with two mental health professionals. This vital aspect allows the audience to ask questions, share experiences and express feelings in a safe space.

At the performance I attended, when the audience was asked how many people had been affected by suicide, more than 80% raised their hands.

Thursday is World Suicide Prevention Day, and there could hardly be a more appropriate or important time for this show to be heard.

Thank you, Stan, for using your talents to shine a light on an issue that remains, for many, a taboo subject.

I think a star rating is inappropriate on this occasion.

Soho Theatre, Dean Street

Saturday 5th to Thursday 10th September 2026