Review: ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST at Lawler Theatre

Guest Reviewer: Josh Martin

Monster Media's production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest directed by Carl J. Sorheim at The Lawler at Southbank Theatre has created a chilling insight of a mental health ward in Oregon, USA during the 1960's.

When the title One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest comes up in conversation most people automatically think of the 1975 film staring Jack Nicholson which won 5 major academy awards including best picture and best actor in a lead role.

However before the film, in 1963 the play of the same name by Dale Wasserman premiered on Broadway, a time in American history when uprise towards the institution was prolific. Both the play and the film are based on the novel by Ken Kesey which was created through his observations working night shifts on a mental health ward.

The story centres around Randle P. McMurphy, a man admitted to a mental health institution instead of serving his jail sentence in the belief that it will be easier. Unfortunately for him, the ward is overseen by Nurse Ratched who runs her operation as strictly as a military camp. As the story continues, we see a fight for dominance & power between the two characters, highlighting how easily the transition of carer to tyrant can occur.

Mike Robins as the rebellious Randle P. McMurphy is truthful and energetic in his portrayal and is supported by strong performances from his fellow gang of psychiatric patients including Josh Futcher as Scanlon, David Gannon as Martini, Kostas Ilias as Cheswick and Eddie Muliaumaseali'i as Chief Bromden. My guest at this performance works in the mental health field and found all the performances to be profound realisations of people living with mental illness.

Special mention must go to Troy Larkin & Nicholas Denton who give sincere and weighted portrayals of the tortured Dale Harding & young Billy Bibbit.

Angela Scundi as Candy Starr & Natalie Bond as Sandra helped to lighten up the play, secretly sneaking onto the ward for an afterhour's party with the patients.

However the performance of the evening goes to Catherine Glavicic for her portrayal of the iconic Nurse Ratched. The character could easily be portrayed as a 2 dimensional villain but Glavicic's performance is anything but this. She gives weight and sincerity to Nurse Ratched and makes the character a believable person despite her horrendous actions.

Carl J Sorheim gives good direction really helping to focus the play on a clear battle for dominance and power between the two main characters.

The set design and costuming was lacking though, and could have done more to bring to life an American psychiatric ward as the battle ground for the characters to inhabit. In particular the costuming didn't help to solidify the characters into the bygone era of mental illness in the 1960's, which is a necessity in this work.

Overall, Monster Media's production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is well worth the ticket and features some fantastic and noteworthy performances.

2-11 June 2017 at The Lawler at Southbank Theatre

http://www.mtc.com.au/plays-and-tickets/other-companies/one-flew-over-the-cuckoo/

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