That the play 4.48 Psychosis has a strong theme of mental disintegration was obvious to me from the moment I walked into the Young Vic theatre and heard a fragment of a conversation taking place to my left. ‘…I self diagnosed…’ 4.48 is celebrated playwright Sarah Kane’s final work, performed for the first time only after her death in 1999 when at age 28 she hanged herself in Kings College Hospital. Previous to this she had twice been a voluntary patient at the Maudsley, seemingly overwhelmed by depression.
Kane’s final piece is an angry, fragmentary work. It makes no attempt at plot or character and was written without any direction as how many actors were intended to voice the play. When first performed in 2000 at the Royal Court Theatre, two women and one woman performed the work. The current Young Vic production, directed by Christian Benedetti, instead presents a monologue delivered by a single actress.
If I say that 4.48 Psychosis is reminiscent of Beckett visits the psychiatric hospital delivered by the character from Munch’s The Scream this may give an indication of what the experience is like. Harsh lighting, shouting, snippets of conversation, and sentences without syntax expressed themes of pain, unrequited love, and intentions of suicide. Conversations with psychiatrists feature prominently, whom Kane appears to have both needed and despised.
Not then the sort of thing you’re meant to actually ‘enjoy’ and with no dramatic arc the mind easily wanders to consider the relationship between Kane’s writing and her accompanying real life story. Is this actually a play or, given the circumstances surrounding it, really a dramatized suicide note? The play then suffers but is lent a greater relevance by the fate of its creator.
What an interesting post.
I am not familiar with the play, but it reminds me of two literary works. One being the infamous Long Day’s Journey Into Night, wherein a seemingly normal family descends into a world of maddness, depression, sickness, and drug addiction overnight. The second is the hit American Broadway production August: Osage County. Very intense piece about a similar premise.
I wonder if I might shoot you a rather off-topic question, but considering your profession, location, and skill with articulation I would very much love to get your opinion on the matter!
What is your take on the mental health recovery movement that is hitting the mental health field by storm? I would very much be interested in hearing not only your take, but in pointing out cultural differences in the recovery movement between American approaches to the recovery model and those professed by London practitioners.
Also if you are at all comfortable with the notion, I would love to quote you or reference you on my own blog, the Mental Health Recovery Blog, but if you are not comfortable with such a notion I would very much just like to hear what you have to say here!
I look forward to speaking with you more on the subject should your schedule permit!
Warm regards,
Lex
MHCD Research and Evaluations
i am familiar with 4.48 psychosis as this is what i am studying to use for my drama exam. i feel that if you go into depth an really read the note/play which ever you would like to call it. you feel he pain, anger and her depresstion through her writing.