Ayckbourn’s play centres on Susan, a housewife who after a head injury struggles to deal with the merging of her real and imagined family lives. As she seeks to dismiss her imagined life to resolve conflict with her real family, she finds that the boundaries between the world she once retreated into as a form of mental escape and reality are no longer so clear cut.
It is important that the performance be viewed in isolation from the current moment
While received positively, some critics were left unsure of whether the performance adequately addressed the serious subject of mental health, arguing its representation of trauma was too dated for current audiences. Characters frequently speak over Susan, dismissing her deep sense of dissatisfaction and inadequacy as the ramblings of a ‘ridiculous’ housewife, turning to comedy instead of sensitively depicting the process of helping an individual feeling stuck within the confines of her domestic sphere.
This viewpoint is understandable in critics who are analysing the 1980s script against current shows which deal more thoughtfully with the concept of female mental health. However, I think it is important that the performance be viewed in isolation from the current moment, and should instead be regarded as an insight on how female mental health was viewed when the play was written. For me, the play demonstrates that the confines of the domestic sphere were so restrictive and the individuals around her so dismissive, that for Susan, who represents the woman whose sense of self-worth is tied to her domestic capabilities, there was no other available outlet to express her desire for a different reality than through imagination. Longhurst’s play should instead be praised for its performance choices that allowed it to take on a new brilliance.
Smith powerfully navigates the duality in Susan’s familial interactions, masterfully transitioning between moments of Susan’s imagined euphoria and tangible floundering in her efforts to connect with her son
The production stands out for the excellent performance of Sheridan Smith, who depicts with heart and humour Susan’s fraying psyche as she is overcome by a sense of failure in her family relationships. Smith powerfully navigates the duality in Susan’s familial interactions, masterfully transitioning between moments of Susan’s imagined euphoria and tangible floundering in her efforts to connect with her son. Also brilliant was Romesh Ranganathan, whose theatrical debut as the bumbling Dr Bill moves away from his typical comedic persona in favour of bringing moments of light-hearted comedy to the otherwise dark subject matter.
Longhurst cleverly stages the gradual breakdown of the barrier between Susan’s internal fantasies and external realities. For me, the use of a ‘safety curtain’, which at the start of the play, Susan’s imagined family steps under to interact with her, is a physical representation of the protective mechanisms of Susan’s psyche which initially allows her to distinguish between reality and creation. As Susan comes to rely on these imagined fantasies to supplement her sadness in moments of complete despair, the curtain is lifted, symbolising how the progressive dissolving of her real familial life causes Susan to retreat into her fantasies.
Overall, the incredible performances and unique staging choices of Longhurst’s play made it a captivating show that did not disappoint.