4.48 Psychosis is a play like no other, and in this regard poses very interesting questions when evaluating it. Sarah Kane’s famous last work, written whilst suffering from depression and shortly before she committed suicide, reads as a stream of consciousness from a mind in pain. The language is sharp but abstract, reminiscent of Ginsberg, though of a much darker, fragmented hue. There are no explicit characters, setting or stage directions. This, in turn, means that not only is it performed in many, many different ways, but also there is no set argument, message or predictable effect on the audience – rendering it genuinely incomparable.
The focus in this production is placed on the sensory experience of the voice in the play, not in necessarily trying to project subtext or extended meaning on to the words. The main sensations that are engendered in the audience are ones of the physical experience of what it may be like to live with the perception of a world of pain and depression. The use of the tight enclosed spaces, the actors surrounding and performing in extremely close proximity to the audience members, and the darkness helps create an incredible sense of oppression, entrapment and claustrophobia.
Staged in the crypt of St. Pancras Church, the surroundings are incredibly atmospheric. Delivered as a promenade piece, we move through the underground labyrinth as if exploring each dark, cramped recess of the afflicted mind, and the journey is a continual foray through the twists and turns of suffering. This is emphasised by really strong use of the space. Lighting is stark but isolated, using neon rods and LEDs in blues and reds to distort the light and perception of the audience members, displaying how nothing is clear to the consciousness of the play. This is reinforced by the use of drapes and sheets to disperse and dim the light, providing ever more boundaries to the space.
A variety of sensory installations to impede and interact with the audience’s progress through the space are also used. In various places, there are balloons suspended inside red elastic tubes, giant foam shapes growing from the wall and large latex panels hanging from the ceiling. These items remind the audience constantly of the sensory experience of what the subject of the play is going through, and provide even more hindrances to escaping this dark space. However, I don’t feel all of them – particularly the balloons – really have an impact, or seem to serve a discernible purpose other than getting in the way. They add to the atmosphere of the entry, but are perhaps no more than a sensory reference point. This is reflected more successfully in the costumes, which though appearing a little unfinished, strongly represent parts of the brain surrounding the performers using a flexible, beige foam. This very effectively reinforces the concept that you are supposed to be inside someone’s mind.
The performances are generally strong, and they have evidently thought very clearly about how best to communicate the words of the play. Their emphasis on the raw emotions shines through in the presentation. To help produce a claustrophobic effect, many of the lines are delivered in chorus, while surrounding the audience. This adds to a sense of hearing voices and being bombarded on all sides, which proves particularly effective when combined with the knowledge that you are surrounded by the dead in the crypt. The lines are delivered with an intensity and conviction that never wavers, and while in extreme proximity to the audience in what could be awkward situations, they stay extremely focused and do not interact unless necessary to move to a certain space etc. This contributes to the isolation of this character’s mind, as the performers are so close to us, and the play appears to take the form of direct address, yet we can never quite be reached. This delivery is combined with some excellent movement work, which never becomes too interpretive that it is indecipherable, but adds to the energy and impressive restlessness of the piece.
It is difficult to say whether you will enjoy it or not, and its focus on a sensory experience as opposed to a psychological one means that the lingering effects on you are more subtle and trickier to detect. There are no great social debates to be had afterwards, no reflection on a battle between good and evil. However, the play is performed with an intensity that makes it extremely engrossing and has a real sensory impact. You may not take anything particularly thought-provoking away with you, but you will feel a physical effect that is unlike almost anything else you can get watching theatre. A lot of time has gone into carefully planning how best to present this stream of words, and for the most part this comes across in considered, not too abstract performances. I also feel that there is a stronger connection between the location and the production than in any other promenade piece I have seen, particularly notable as it is not site specific. There is, then, no benchmark I can offer, no relevant experience to relate it to, but in terms of pure stagecraft it is an excellent envisioning of a very difficult play, and an experience worth undertaking, even if only because it is different from anything else out there.
4.48 Psychosis played at the Crypt Gallery, St Pancras Church until 9 July. For more information, see the Crypt Gallery website.