BWW Reviews: MY PERFECT MIND, Young Vic, September 9 2014

The autobiographical My Perfect Mind has returned to the Young Vic before embarking on a UK and International tour. Directed by Kathryn Hunter (well-known as the first British actress to play King Lear at the Young Vic) and starring Paul Hunter and veteran actor Edward Petherbridge, it takes the audience on a trip through Petherbridge's life.

In 2007 Petherbridge was preparing for his dream role as the tyrannical King Lear when he suffered a stroke, which although partially paralysing him, left him able to remember every word of King Lear. Throughout the entire 90-minute performance, My Perfect Mind leaps from a seemingly serious Shakespearean recital to hilarious physical comedy. Paul Hunter plays several roles, including a German doctor, a hilarious portrayal of Laurence Olivier, the Fool and various people from Petherbridge's past including his mother and brother.

All of the action takes place on a tilted stage designed by Michael Vale, which is bare except for a table and two chairs. The actors negotiate their way around the physically challenging set well - especially Petherbridge who is now 78 years old. Various covered objects set near to the wall of the theatre come into play later on during one of King Lear's most powerful speeches. The stories told by Petherbridge are fascinating - we are taken through his childhood in Bradford where his ancestors moved from Devon, told of how his mother suffered a stroke while she was days away from giving birth to Edward and Petherbridge re-enacts a talent show he entered as a young boy. The walk down memory lane provides Petherbridge with the opportunity to act out some of the more well-known scenes from King Lear.

Although towards the end things seem to become a bit disjointed and the energy begins to dissipate slightly, the production as a whole is a solid one and it is also very touching due to its autobiographical nature. Paul Hunter does a sterling job of running around playing literally everyone else, threading an ongoing joke through all of his various characters - leaving Petherbridge to focus on his double role as himself and Lear. My Perfect Mind offers the audience the rare opportunity to take a peek inside the mind of an actor.

Photo credit: Manuel Harlan