HYSTERIA till 12 May
HYSTERIA: Terry Johnson
Birmingham Rep Theatre (0121 236 4455, www.birmingham-rep.co.uk)
Runs: 2h 25m, till 12 May
Review: Rod Dungate, 27 April 2007
Script available in Terry Johnson Collected Plays - Link below
110% conscious and unconscious stimulation
What a fascinating play Terry Johnson has written and how vigorously it’s brought to life in Paul Raffield’s production.
Johnson takes as his starting point the young Dali visiting the aging and dying Freud for tea at Freud’s London home. Johnson’s play explores memory and the links between memory, behaviour, consciousness and what we lock away in our subconscious. So Freud is in the process of analysing his own memories (or rather in analysing the results of analysing his own memories if you see what I mean.) Dali is trying to mine the valuable resources of his subconscious. Johnson adds into this a young woman who wants Freud to reassess his reassessment of one of his hysteria patient’s from the past – the young woman’s mother.
Johnson’s technique is to lay out his play then fold it, refold it and fold it again and again so that the layers become muddled, blurred and you never quite know which layer you are in. There’s the subconscious for you. The result is a roller-coaster of old-style farce, surrealism (how close they get) and serious debate. It must be a joy to perform; and that actors’ joy is infectious.
Sean Foley is marvellous as Sigmund F. He agonises, teaches, speechifies, poses, preens, cavorts and entertains with great energy. He never drops his trousers though – that’s left to Dali; actually Dali doesn’t drop them Freud pulls them off. Sam Swainsbury is a totally endearing Dali; although he’s almost always at manic level he manages to draw us in rather than push us away. Ruth Millar provides a lot of emotional depth in the play, constantly reminding us the play has a heart. And John Burgess (Dr Yahuda) provides an old-fashioned kind of gentleman that keeps us grounded; the gulf between reality and unreality seems all the greater.
But then a play is total unreality . . . oh dear.
Raffield keeps everything speeding along but with variety of pace and tone too providing pockets of reflection. It’s good to see a play that makes you think as much as it makes you laugh.
Sigmund Freud: Sean Foley
Jessica / The Voice of Anna: Ruth Millar
Abraham Yahuda: John Burgess
Salvador Dali: Sam Swainsbury
Director: Paul Raffield
Designer: Libby Watson
Lighting Designer: Jason Taylor
Composer: Matthew Scott
Dialect Coach: Sally Hague
Assistant Director: Sam Yates
Fight Director: Terry King
For the text, use this link to Amazon
2007-04-28 11:56:13