Review: blue/orange

By Laura Stratford.

How does one define mental health? How does one battle mental illness? Are we all at risk? These are a few of the questions that spring to mind whilst watching the thought-provoking play, ‘blue/orange’, written by Joe Penhall.

Mental illness, what was once a taboo subject in the 20th century, is still a tricky subject to deal with. Thankfully, nowadays, people are open to discuss a subject that could potentially affect anyone at any time. The theatre company, ‘Out of Character’, are particularly in support of this cause. They strive to make challenging theatre that looks closely at perceptions of mental health.

In collaboration with Converge, who offer educational experiences for people who use mental health services, York Theatre Royal and the direction of Juliet Foster, ‘blue/orange’ has returned to the stage.  It tells the story of two psychiatric doctors, Bruce (Jonathan Race) and Robert (Michael Beckley), who are treating their patient, Christopher (Lekan Lawal). Chaos arises the moment Christopher reveals he is the son of an African dictator. Bruce strives to help and protect Christopher’s freedom in society, whilst Robert unashamedly uses his affliction as a tool of manipulation in his career plan. The tension between these characters reveals Penhall’s critique of corruption in mental health care and the possibility that all of us are capable of losing perspective in the process of demystifying mental illness.

When coming out of the theatre, you’ll find yourself having an internal debate for several days. It’s well acted and worth a see.

You can find out more information about the production at the York Theatre Royal website.

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