Cottesloe, National Theatre, London Until 17 June 2000
Society is curious about psychiatry. In Kevin Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and the recent British television series Psychos, dramatists explored the meaning of mental illness and its treatment. The writer Joe Penhall tackled the subject of psychiatric care in the community in his award winning play Some Voices, and he follows it with his new play Blue/Orange.
The Cottlesloe Theatre is perfect for the play, for its intimacy pulls the audience in to the claustrophobic hospital room in which three main characters interact. The cleverly crafted interplay between Christopher, a young black patient, and his two doctors, becomes emotionally charged early on in the evening. The story keeps you guessing about each of the characters' true intentions. All of their seemingly logical arguments become tainted, and we begin to suspect racism in the doctors' actions.
The play questions our criteria for the involuntary detention of patients under the Mental Health Act and raises doubts about the labelling of people with personality disorder. Christopher is in hospital against his will, and we witness the final day of his one month's evaluation period. The junior doctor, played by Andrew Lincoln from the acclaimed British television series This Life, tries hard to impress in his first ever psychiatry job. The consultant, played by Bill Nighy, initially questions whether black people diagnosed with psychiatric conditions are victims of a society that mistakes cultural differences for mental illness. However, more sinister aspects of his personality are soon revealed, leaving the audience guessing as to whether his actions are directed towards career advancement, are based on his own prejudices, or are truly in the interest of the patient. The debate intensifies, constantly challenging and frustrating the audience, while cleverly breaking the escalating tension with humorous moments.
Christopher is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who appeared in Stephen Spielberg's Amistad, and the character finds himself caught up in the midst of this complex battlefield. As the drama unfolds, his claim to be the son of an exiled African dictator becomes unnervingly plausible, and we witness his fear of being trapped in a confusing world where no one seems to be in control.
Blue/Orange succeeds in raising the possibility that ethnic minorities are victims in the current psychiatric system, which was never designed to meet the needs of minority groups. Roger Mitchell has directed an intelligent, character driven story about race, madness, and a Darwinian power struggle at the heart of a dying NHS.
Figure.
ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE
A young black patient in a confusing world