Review-4:48 Psychosis- Theatron
15-11-12
By: Harry Oram
I have heard of “Psychosis 4:48” by Sarah Kane, but knew nothing about the author or the play. Psychology and dealing with mental illness are subjects that intrigue me and so I went eagerly to the McAulay Theater.
I like this theater and for a production like this, with only a cast of three, I thought the intimacy would be suitable. The director (Michael Harley) provides useful information on the background of the author in his ‘Director’s Note’. I learnt that Sarah Kane suffered from mental illness and wrote the play in the fall of 1998, and committed suicide shortly after on February 20,1999.
It is clear from his notes that the director is well informed about Sarah Kane and passionate about the subject; the ineffectual treatment of mental patients and the lack of understanding of their illness, a sensitive but important subject.
I have not read the play but, from the notes and a little research, I learnt that 4:48am was the time of day when she would wake to find her mind was clear enough to recognise what was happening to her. Kane had expressed in verse her thoughts about her life and her illness.
This is a heads-up to any theatre goer who wants to see a production of this play: it is non-linear, which means it has no traditional story line which makes it challenging to perform and follow. But it had been a while since I’ve seen a piece like this and was in the mood for something unconventional.
Presented with a bare stage except for two white chairs, I knew that this piece would be totally reliant on the abilities of the actors. The two actresses that play the lead (Kim Haslam and Lisa Henderson) were very solid, well spoken and committed to their performances. The doctor (Michael Harley) that treats her is the second character, and though he cares for his patient he does not love his job and is inept as to how to treat her.
It was clear from the start that Haslam and Henderson were playing two aspects of the same character and they complement each other well. However, instead of two sides of the same coin, they essentially play the same aspects of the character with nothing to differentiate between them apart from their looks. I would have liked to have seen something that separated them more.
Both actresses have the talent to handle the emotional elements well; however, the show had much of the same tone from the outset. The production seemed to focus on the darkness and despair but there were more elements that could have been exploited. There were clearly some moments of comedy in the writing that weren’t expressed well enough in this production. I am sorry to say that, despite being eager to see the play, I was quickly lost; and if the actor in me wasn’t rooting for the performers to succeed, the audience member in me would have been lost much sooner.
I cannot fault the actresses; their pace was quick and they were both clearly dedicated to their craft. This production was not failing for lack of direction either. Michael Harley had clear intentions, minimal to no props with total reliance on the actors, it is something that the actor in me would relish. However, this is an extremely challenging play and I felt that unless a director brings something that is unique or mind-blowing to compel the audience member through the play, it is easy for the audience member to be lost.
Usually when I don’t like a show I could say it is down to personal taste and perhaps there are members of the public who would enjoy a certain show much more. However, I was going into this production of psychosis eager but left disappointed.
I would say go if you are interested in Sarah Kane’s work and want to see an interpretation of Psychosis. Go if you wish to see the acting that at times was very moving and gripping. However, at $200 a ticket this is not on my recommendation list, which is a shame, as the actresses have talent and the subject is one that interests me.
The director holds a Q&A session after the play, which I thought was an interesting move. It is nice with non-linear plays like this to hear about an artist’s interpretation of it. However, I would recommend they go offstage first and let any audience members leave if they wish before the session begins.
Comments
Tim
I went to see this production with high hopes, but was bitterly disappointed. I disagree with the reviewer that the acting was strong. It was just bad, bad, bad and generally one dimensional. Some of the movement was also bordering on the ridiculous and hilarious.
17 November 2012Josie
This is easily one of the worst shows I have seen. I agree that this piece relies heavily on the actors. However, the acting (or lack of) was flat and uninteresting. This performance should not have happened. It was like a badly recorded audio book.
17 November 2012Piper McDoodle
I admire the three performers for taking a risk and tackling quite a difficult piece of theatre. However, all three performances lacked any emotional depth as well as vocal variety.Yes, this characters are unsatisfied with life and can think of nothing else but death. However, death is pleasure for these characters. These characters find happiness in death. I felt this needed to be explored in order to create a wider emotional spectrum for the characters to portray for an audience who merely received a hour of depressed sadness.
17 November 2012Boo
This show sucked! One of the worst ones I have ever seen. The fake hanging at the end was hilariously bad (and I don't it was supposed to come across that way)
18 November 2012Jenny
Hands down the worst show of the year! Worse than Private Lives. An epic fail. Harry you were too nice to these people. They ruined the script.
19 November 2012David Tanner
Show not so good. Grammar of reviewer even worse. Want to be taken seriously as a reviewer, learn the frigging language.
20 November 2012