by Sam Franklin
Arts Hub
Wednesday, May 07, 2008

 
Firstly a confession. I am not political. I have never felt inclined to fight the system, protest, go on hunger strike or throw myself under carriages. So, unsurprisingly, it was with some trepidation that I approached Donald Freed’s latest play, Patient No.1, described as "an illuminating expose not only of American politics, but of our own personal part in world affairs."

I have always found plays defined as political to be largely impotent, relying on subtle subtexts that often pass unnoticed to an uninitiated audience. Patient No. 1 in contrast wears its heart on its sleeve. Brash, blatant and with no problem shouting its opinion in your ear, it is the political activist of the theatrical world. It is, however, extremely compelling and interesting to watch.

Taking the premise that, in a not-too-distant future, former President George W Bush has been admitted to an elite private psychiatric clinic, it plays the audience’s largely left-wing disdain for the man off against the mentally ill figure standing bedraggled onstage. There are some fine performances by American actor Jon Farris as the Doctor, grafting his way through a demanding script, and Jonathan Race, maintaining the perfect physicality of the emotionally blunted Secret Service Agent. However the highlight of the production was the stunning performance of Robert Pickavance playing the eponymous anti-Christ with physical vigour and a manic glint in his eyes that was simultaneously hilarious, terrifying and deeply disturbing.

Patient No.1 is, however, not without its problems. While the individual scenes were well directed the scene transitions seemed clunky, slow and led this reviewer to briefly lose concentration and the play its momentum. The directorial style that combined elements of film noir, farce and drama felt over-complicated and at points contributed to create messy clashes in atmosphere and mood. Jo Scotcher’s claustrophobic but occasionally overimposing set worked well in combination with some excellent lighting by Christopher Randall.

It is to York Theatre Royal’s credit that they have brought this production to this stage and delivered an excellent piece of work that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend, and in so doing taking my first step towards a politicised future.

Patient No. 1 runs at York Theatre Royal until 17 May 2008.