Review: JACKALS, Paisley Arts Centre

Jackals is a new piece of theatre written and performed by Becca Robin Dunn and Claire Macallister and directed by Olivia Millar-Ross.

Jackals tells the mostly true story of Emma Eckstein- creative liberties have been taken as to some of the actual dialogue. Eckstein was a patient of Dr Sigmund Freud in the 1800s, and she is regarded as being one of his most important patients.

In her 20s, Emma (Dunn) went to the doctor about her heavy periods and some other vague symptoms she thought might be connected. Freud (MacAllister) diagnosed her as hysterical and concluded that her issues might be the result of what he deemed to be excessive masturbation. 

Dunn and Macallister work well together as the doctor and patient as they converse throughout the 90-minute runtime. There is an interesting story at the core of Jackals, but unfortunately, it gets lost somewhere in the dialogue. The endless chat might reflect the setting of the therapist’s office, but it becomes a chore to watch onstage. 

There’s a lot to like about Jackals and it does serve well at putting the spotlight on a woman whose story doesn’t often get told. Jackals celebrates her achievements and portrays her as an ambitious and intelligent young woman who was let down by a celebrated so-called genius. 

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