Nicolas Billon’s 2004 play units itself up as a psychological wrestling match between a senior psychiatrist and an inpatient at a psychological well being unit, believed to have very important info on a lacking physician. The police have arrived and the affected person, Michael, an apparently devious 23-year-old, makes controversial claims with incriminating images. However what looks like an alleged intercourse scandal turns into one thing else totally.
Below the route of Jason Moore, the play casts doubt over each males who circle round one another like predators as they play out their energy wrestle and a recreation of reality or lie. We're performed too, to a point, although this 75-minute drama doesn't get beneath the pores and skin and, extra problematically, appears to attract the mentally unwell affected person as an excessive amount of like a felony, to be overtly distrusted and disbelieved.
Dr Greenberg (Jon Osbaldeston) is just too impolite and rapidly angered to be plausible at first, calling this weak affected person “a bit shit”. But he additionally turns into too rapidly and gullibly drawn in as soon as he begins to pay attention. Gwithian Evans acts the a part of the charismatic, sensible manipulator who can run rings round his docs – a well-known trope however carried out nicely. Michael’s obsession with elephants is strained and distracting however the play does reveal an even bigger metaphorical which means for this fixation, and a robust scene about elephants opens the floodgates to his traumatic youth.
There may be additionally Miss Peterson (Louise Faulker), a psychiatric nurse and ancillary character in comparison with the notorious Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. She comes and goes slightly too briefly, warning Dr Greenberg to not belief this affected person, and is implicated in Michael’s video games however not satisfyingly sufficient.
A brand new intrigue round Dr Greenberg’s spouse, thrown in close to the top, is left hanging and the ultimate scene brings an abrupt twist with out the emotional punch it wants. The play’s thoughts video games as an entire are too neatly pushed by plot, and include just a few too many apparent stunts, however they do elevate sufficient rigidity and intrigue to attract you in and hold you guessing.
At Park theatre, London, till 11 February
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