Bipolar & The English Channel: A One-Woman Show

Join the Section on Medicine and the Arts of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia for this special performance of Bipolar & The English Channel, a powerful and inspiring one woman show written and performed by Julie Ridge.

About the Show:

On her 25th birthday, Julie Ridge became the 242nd person to swim from England to France. A few years later, Ridge unceremoniously received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder I and was hospitalized for 21 days. Act I of Bipolar & The English Channel tells the story of how a casual mile-a-day pool swimmer became an English Channel swimmer in nine short months and her 17-hour, 55-minute zig-zag journey across those grey murky seas. Act II tells the less glamorous story of a world-record holding endurance athlete who wakes up one not-so-fine day floridly manic, locked down on an unforgiving New York City psychiatric ward - and her arduous journey back to sanity and a fulfilling life.

Bipolar & The English Channel was previously performed at the 2023 Sedona Festival and at both the 2021 and 2022 United Solo Festivals Off-Broadway in New York, among others. 

Bipolar and the English Channel has a running time of 95 minutes including a short pause between acts.  There will be a Q&A session following the performance.

Event Timeline:

6:00pm Doors open, Drinks Available

6:30pm - 8:00pm Performance 

8:00pm Talk back 

Museum Members and College Fellows

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Students

All college and medical students should use the college student ticket!

Author and Performer:

Julie Ridge is a licensed psychiatric social worker.  She currently designs and facilitates learning seminars for mental health care professionals in New York under the auspices of her non-profit organization, the Frank Ridge Memorial Foundation, Inc.  In addition to Bipolar & The English Channel, the documentary film Breathe features the intersection of Ridge’s swim around Manhattan and her life with bipolar disorder.  Breathe has been a finalist and award winner in over a dozen international film festivals. 

Please note:

• The Mütter Museum will not be open during this event.
• Tickets are non-refundable but are transferable to other people.
• Questions? Email events@collegeofphysicians.org