Woman in Mind

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Tony, Susan's imaginary young brother, again devoted, mischievous, and presumably compensation for Gerald's devotion to Muriel; and At the time of going to press a high wall of secrecy surrounds this project. Some have the theory that the reason for this is to protect such highly original comic material from the risk of plagiarism. Others, more cynical, suggest that it could be due to the fact that the author hasn't started on it yet and is anxious not to commit himself.

I tell actors playing Gerald to be as nice as possible - if he says all the lines he'll never manage it - but he should try to be. It is very important that characters like Gerald are not so far out on the limb of outrageous caricature by the climax of the play that we cannot suddenly wonder if the man has a point after all as Susan destroys his precious manuscript. After all, we've only had Susan's word about him up till now and at this stage, how reliable is her word any longer? Only this isn’t Susan’s real family. It is wish-fulfilment in the form of hallucination, the creation of a prettier home life where she is richer, smarter, and more loved by those around her. It is Susan’s reaction to a banal real-life home that is a terrifying amplification of many of the classic concerns of Middle England, complete with a loveless marriage and a son that no longer speaks to her. There is much good work to praise here. Sarah Parnell as the put-upon Muriel is a creation of genius and Pete Woodward and Simon Walton as vicar and doctor respectively, give nicely-studied work with an eye to detail. The ubiquitous Aaron Holdaway presents an essay in comedic delivery too.If the breach is great, seek a way of apology specifically for her and your specific shared circumstance. Brilliant designer Les Brotherston has created an amazing set spreading right across the stage and beyond, with lawn, flower beds, walls and steps so solid and sturdy they seem to have been there forever, all enhanced superbly by Mark Henderson’s lighting with sound and video by Simon Baker. The whole is so effective that is seems we are there with them in the garden as day turns to night and a raging thunderstorm reflects the chaos in Susan’s mind. If what you did was totally insensitive and crass, she may never be able look at you in the same light and it may be too much to expect that trust can be regained easily, if ever. She may, in fact, never be able to see you as the same person. However, if what you did to her is more trivial and does not seem so much to her, you might approach her sensitively to good effect.

What does the 'incomprehensible' language Susan hears in the first scene and speaks in the final scene mean? Comedy and tragedy work closely together and here it is mainly provided by Gerald’s sister Muriel (Stephanie Jacob). Her attitude and resentful ‘put upon’ demeanour are a joy to watch as she stomps on and off stage. Recently widowed, she is now living with them and has brought along her husband’s spirit, sure that he will appear to her one day. If he remembers her ‘surprise omelette’, he will probably keep well clear. It could be that which finished him off. There is a lovely, understated comedy in Matthew Cottle’s doctor Bill, although a little too much time was spent on ‘entertaining’ an invisible child with a handkerchief mouse. Director Andrew Caple and his technical team have produced an interesting garden setting complete with lawn, pots and trellis, while the sound technicians have excelled with tortuous magnified voices and weather effects. Wardrobe too have ensured the cast are appropriately well costumed.

The grim reality is very different: husband Gerald (clergyman's son Paul Toy) is a self-obsessed priggish vicar, always in another room writing his interminably dull, interminably long parish history since 1387. They have reached the separate bed stage already. Some women also experience mood swings rapidly due to their PMS. [12] X Research source [13] X Trustworthy Source US Office on Women's Health U.S. government agency providing resources for women's health Go to source It will benefit you to be aware of the fact that her health and physical changes have a constant impact on her which reflects in her dealings or reactions while interacting with others. Susan was probably closer to a portrait of my mother in some ways, though it would be dangerous to say she was solely based on my mother. But the relationship with her husband Gerald had echoes of her own relationship with her bank manager husband. Never a good idea to marry someone solely for the good of the child which I believe she did. It usually ends in unhappiness for all concerned. Helen Mirren appeared as Susan in a 1992 production at the Tiffany Theatre in Los Angeles. [6] 2008–2009 revival [ edit ] Right from the outset the eerie lighting courtesy of the excellent technical team creates an atmosphere of otherworldliness and confusion, and the minimalist staging perfectly complements this focus on lighting to allow the imagination of Susan to be externally portrayed in a vivid and alluring way. Whilst the first act may have benefited from a change in lighting to give more momentum to the gradually developing plot, the second act marvellously manipulates lighting and staging to enhance the psychological themes and characters’ interactions, resulting in a highly charged and vivid act that brings out the true life of the characters and the issues that shape the play.

She is also no saint. Remember that everything we see is her version. Ideally - in theory if not in practice (God forbid) - every time Susan blinks the lights should dip. We get her version of events from square one. Being the only version we're offered we should tend to trust her. After all, she is the central character. She should know what she's doing. Shouldn't she? Synopsis: Like many other women in the UK, Susan lives with a boring, inconsiderate and unattractive husband. Like many other women, this drives her mad. Enter Susan's mind, where fantasy and reality collide with devastating and hilarious consequences. Woman in Mind tells the mesmerising tale of a woman's struggle with her imagination. His protagonist, Susan (Sally Hartley), following a concussion, finds herself embraced by the perfect fantasy family, a stark contrast to her patronising and distracted husband, Gerald (Pete Woodward) and her nightmarish sister-in-law, Muriel (Sarah Parnell).

Coming across like a companion piece to Anthony Neilson's The Wonderful World of Dissocia, Woman in Mind is a funny and unsettling vision of mental ill health, its cosy rituals of family life acting as a thin veneer to cover Susan's awful inner torment. The central character in Woman in Mind is, of course, Susan. She is a housewife who, in reality, is neglected by her husband, patronised by her sister-in-law, and estranged from her son. In her own imaginary world, by contrast, she is happy, successful, and loved by her perfect family. Susan remains on-stage throughout the play, and everything seen and heard on stage is what is seen and heard by Susan, both real and imagined.

The chances of being forgiven by a woman lessens if you wronged her or humiliated her deeply. She may shut you out. There are moments towards the end, immediately before Susan goes into what I call a supernova state, when the whole thing gets very bright and it's like Alice in Wonderland, completely dotty, when you get a glimpse, just for a second, of the real Gerald. There are still a lot of things wrong with him, but we begin to see his point of view - that he is dealing with a woman he doesn't understand because he doesn't recognise mental instability as an illness.

Act 1 (first page)

a dazzling, provocative evening... which is both hilariously inventive and demonic" - Sunday Telegraph It’s important to emphasise that Susan must always appear quite ordinary. It's a difficult quality sometimes for an actress to catch. Most people who want to act are quite extraordinary!. We should never get the feeling - what's this remarkable woman doing putting up with all this? The final shred of reality is when Muriel says "The ambulance is on its way", and a blue light flashes. Susan's speech descends into the same gibberish Bill used at the beginning of the play, and, with a desperate request to "December bee", she collapses a final time. As Lucy tries to comfort her, it becomes obvious that Susan’s Family draw their own lives from Susan’s experiences. Confused by all that is happening, Susan tells Lucy to go away and confronts Gerald about their relationship. He walks away from her and Andy appears; Susan futilely telling him to go away, leading to a disturbing confrontation in which it becomes unclear who is controlling who in Susan’s mind. Andy departs, leaving Susan shaken but convinced that she has rid herself of the Family.