Despite the fact that electro-convulsive therapy and frontal lobotomies are no longer used in psychiatric therapy, Ken Kesey’s novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, written in 1962, still manages to remain relevant to contemporary readers in its portrayal of the eternal clash between the individual and the establishment.
Director Stephen Oliver has done a fine job in his direction of Dale Wasserman’s stage adaptation of the book. He has cast a very talented group of actors and managed to harness their strengths to achieve one of the finest examples of ensemble acting I have seen on the local stage. Even the non-speaking inmates were extremely watchable and visually captivating, without overdoing the crazy antics.
Alan Paris gave yet another memorable performance as McMurphy, the lovable rogue who naively thinks that he has managed to hoodwink the justice system by faking insanity. Although his portrayal owed more than a passing nod to Jack Nicholson’s iconic portrayal in the film adaptation, Paris still managed to completely inhabit the role and make it his own.
A truly polished production in every sense
He is also one of the few local actors who can carry off an American accent convincingly and he used his strong voice and confident body language to flesh out McMurphy’s macho posturing without making him two dimensional or drawing too much attention to himself.
Despite McMurphy’s larger than life persona the play is never a one-man show, with some excellent roles for the other characters to sink their teeth in. Alexandra Camilleri Warne, in particular, gave the character of Nurse Ratched a very interesting and unusual twist.
Employing a clipped English accent, she portrayed the self-righteous character without ever having to raise her voice to assert her authority over the inmates. Beneath the cold, hard exterior, however, she made the most of her good looks to give brief glimpses of repressed sensuality that acted as the perfect foil to McMurphy’s macho posturing. It was a brilliant directorial decision and Camilleri Warne played it spot on.
Andre Agius playing the part of the young, stammering inmate Billy Bibbit was very well cast. Agius handled the difficult role with great aplomb and his skilful use of voice and body language made his character both credible and captivating.
Similarly, Victor Debono’s portrayal of Dale Harding, the spokesman for the inmates, was another excellent performance from this talented actor whose vocal delivery is always a joy to behold.
Although both the screenplay and resulting stage play set McMurphy as the central character, the novel’s main character is in fact the schizophrenic American Indian, Chief Bromden, who also acts as narrator. In this production the part is played by Joe Depasquale, whose towering physicality contrasted well with his submissive character.
From Aldo Moretti’s multi-functional set (a near-miracle on a stage like the Manoel) to Seb Tanti Burlo’s intriguing poster, from Veronica Bezzina and Louie Noire’s great choice of costumes to Evan Testa’s haunting soundscapes, this was a truly polished product in every sense. A well-deserved well done to Masquerade and all involved for a top-quality performance.