Review: 4.48 PSYCHOSIS, Royal Court Theatre

Photo credit: Marc Brenner

4.48 Psychosis is a play by Sarah Kane that forces the audience into the mentally ill mind of an unnamed protagonist. Written with no characters and no stage directions, it is a play that has fascinated actors, directors, playwrights and audiences alike since it was first produced in 2000. It uses the same cast, creative team and theatre that it did two and a half decades ago.

Without specified characters and just an unnamed protagonist, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s a one person show. However, the show is performed by three actors, all performing as both the protagonist, and the other people in the protagonist’s memory – including their doctor.

The show starts with several minutes of still silence. Somehow, without moving or speaking, the actors – Daniel Evans, Jo McInnes and Madeleine Potter – have the audience hooked onto every second that passes. The actors’ ability to be in this state of nothingness, while still gripping the audience, is an incredible skill and a testament to their craft.

There is something so captivating yet unsettling about being inside somebody’s mind and seeing the darkest corners, their dreams, thought processes, desires and pain. Watching the show, it really feels like you are watching Sarah Kane’s stream of consciousness in the last days before her death. At times, things don’t appear to make sense which only increases the show’s power, because the very nature of the human mind is that it often doesn’t make sense – especially in the grapples of mental illness.

Although written over 25 years ago, 4.48 Psychosis is worryingly relevant to today’s society. In the play, we see how the protagonist wants to get better – seeing doctors and trying medications, even stating “I don’t want to die”, and yet, as the play goes on these experiences only seem to re-enforce the idea that suicide is their only option. In the UK, we are experiencing soaring levels of mental illness (particularly in young people), in part due to the pandemic. Our mental healthcare system is so broken, that people in dire need of life-saving psychological and/or psychiatric treatment are often being placed on waiting lists over a year long.

The set deserves a special mention. The moment you enter the auditorium, you are greeted with a huge, slanted mirror above the stage, giving a bird’s eye view of the show. Moments in the show seem deliberately concealed from the audience, only becoming visible when looking at the stage in the mirror. An unusual, stand-out choice, the mirror quickly proves itself as an important piece of set, and not just there for the sake of being interesting.

The set is stripped back, a white floor and a white table giving a very clinical feel, and two basic chairs feels appropriately and uncomfortably comparative to a hospital setting. The use of projections, designed by Ben Walden, to show a change of environment, also serves to distort the audience’s perception of the setting, further plunging us into the protagonist’s psyche.

Upon entering the Royal Court Theatre, there is a lift to take you to all floors. The auditorium for the Jerwood Upstairs theatre, where 4.48 Psychosis is performed, is on the top floor. When exiting the lift on this floor, we are greeted by friendly staff ready to scan our tickets and show us to our seats – including the wheelchair space – easily accessible in the front row.

4.48 Psychosis is an unflinching portrayal of the reality of battling mental illness. It is a once in a lifetime, must-see show.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Kate Soper

4.48 Psychosis plays at London’s Royal Court Theatre until 5 July, with further info here.

4.48 Psychosis has sold out its London run, but the Royal Court Theatre has some tips on their social media on how to bag some last-minute tickets.