The Stables Theatre and Arts Centre
The Bourne, Hastings
East Sussex TN34 3BD
01424 423221
The Bourne, Hastings
East Sussex TN34 3BD
01424 423221
Hysteria
By Terry Johnson
A Stables Theatre production
Directed by Duncan Brown
10–18 July 2009
Reviewed by Andrew Yates
By Terry Johnson
A Stables Theatre production
Directed by Duncan Brown
10–18 July 2009
Reviewed by Andrew Yates
Hysteria is a dark and dense four-handed tour de force, which disconcertingly leavens its weighty themes of sexual abuse, trauma and mortality with lashings of uproarious comedy. Johnson’s dramatic strategy is to encourage an initial interpretation of events on stage, but then cast doubt on our basic assumptions, until we are hopelessly unsure what’s real and what isn’t.
The seed of the playwright’s inspiration was the 1938 visit of Salvador Dalí to see the terminally ill Sigmund Freud, then living in exile in London.
Aware of his approaching death from cancer, the irascible Freud—Duncan Brown delivered a subtle, masterful performance in this crucial role, and also directed the play—seems engaged in some sort of self-analysis, examining his memories and assessing his achievements. His tiresome visitor, the eccentric and narcissistic Dalí, played with outstanding comic posturing and timing by Mark Pelham, supposes that his Surrealist paintings directly depict his subconscious mind. A less admiring intruder is Jessica (Jackie Eichler), a deeply disturbed young woman who apparently wants Freud to reconsider his pronouncements on a former patient, her now-dead mother. Also present is Abraham, Freud’s doctor, a trusted friend but devout Jew, appalled by Freud’s atheist writings; Bob Hustwayte inhabited this role totally and convincingly.
A clever theatrical switchback ride ensues, blending old-fashioned Whitehall farce (cue female nudity and trouserless people hidden in cupboards), gags and ridiculous surrealistic events, punctuated by abrupt plunges into very deep intellectual waters. It transpires that Jessica’s abused mother, treated by Freud for hysteria, had later committed suicide, among various other tragic consequences. Jessica’s implausible actions on stage are essential to drive the plot along, but never quite rang true, resisting Jackie Eichler’s best efforts to convey an inner distress sufficient to make her behaviour credible.
However, the play successfully illuminated the profound difficulty we have in forming an objective view of reality, by revealing the untrustworthy relations between our conscious thoughts, self-serving behaviour, carefully edited memories, and the unpalatable facts or threatening emotional issues we banish to our subconscious.
This artfully disjointed and unsettling intellectual concoction was an actor’s delight. The director and cast shared their enjoyment with the audience, who nevertheless left the theatre emotionally moved and thoughtful. Stephen Groves’ fine set heightened the magic, scoring a bulls-eye with its authentic-looking replication of Freud’s famous study. Overall verdict, a fantastic night at the theatre.
The seed of the playwright’s inspiration was the 1938 visit of Salvador Dalí to see the terminally ill Sigmund Freud, then living in exile in London.
Aware of his approaching death from cancer, the irascible Freud—Duncan Brown delivered a subtle, masterful performance in this crucial role, and also directed the play—seems engaged in some sort of self-analysis, examining his memories and assessing his achievements. His tiresome visitor, the eccentric and narcissistic Dalí, played with outstanding comic posturing and timing by Mark Pelham, supposes that his Surrealist paintings directly depict his subconscious mind. A less admiring intruder is Jessica (Jackie Eichler), a deeply disturbed young woman who apparently wants Freud to reconsider his pronouncements on a former patient, her now-dead mother. Also present is Abraham, Freud’s doctor, a trusted friend but devout Jew, appalled by Freud’s atheist writings; Bob Hustwayte inhabited this role totally and convincingly.
A clever theatrical switchback ride ensues, blending old-fashioned Whitehall farce (cue female nudity and trouserless people hidden in cupboards), gags and ridiculous surrealistic events, punctuated by abrupt plunges into very deep intellectual waters. It transpires that Jessica’s abused mother, treated by Freud for hysteria, had later committed suicide, among various other tragic consequences. Jessica’s implausible actions on stage are essential to drive the plot along, but never quite rang true, resisting Jackie Eichler’s best efforts to convey an inner distress sufficient to make her behaviour credible.
However, the play successfully illuminated the profound difficulty we have in forming an objective view of reality, by revealing the untrustworthy relations between our conscious thoughts, self-serving behaviour, carefully edited memories, and the unpalatable facts or threatening emotional issues we banish to our subconscious.
This artfully disjointed and unsettling intellectual concoction was an actor’s delight. The director and cast shared their enjoyment with the audience, who nevertheless left the theatre emotionally moved and thoughtful. Stephen Groves’ fine set heightened the magic, scoring a bulls-eye with its authentic-looking replication of Freud’s famous study. Overall verdict, a fantastic night at the theatre.
Also in this section >
Photographs > www.artypharty.com
A selection of production photographs from the 1950s to the present is available at our photographer Peter Mould’s website.
A selection of production photographs from the 1950s to the present is available at our photographer Peter Mould’s website.
