Directed with wit and visceral honesty by George Turvey, Waldren’s dialogue-driven script explores life in a rehabilitation unit for women with eating disorders, exposing the processes that our society has adapted to reintegrate those possessed with such ‘demons’ into society. Historical parallels between religious possession and mental illness are well-trodden, but the heightened metaphor makes sense for characters who have veered so close to the edge of destruction.
Anisha Fields’ set has the impersonal, soul-sucking comfort of a lived-in NHS facility, littered with the unholy remnants of other people’s food. Eggshells on the table capture the brittleness of life in this artificial and highly controlled environment, where nurses Mike (Joshua James) and Leanne (Amy Beth Hayes) enforce rules like ‘no talking about weights, calories or numbers’ and ‘no leaving the room’ during meals or meetings.
The routine of these shared events sets a strong foundation for the introduction of Sam (Hannah Saxby), a young woman set to study Philosophy at Hull who forms a friendship of curiosity with long-term, recurring patient Zoe (Sirine Saba). The parallel drawn between these two women offers a portrait of the cycle of release and readmittance, asking whether true healing is possible and exposing the long and painful road to recovery.
That isn’t to say that it’s overly dark. The difficult subject matter is addressed unflinchingly, and yet the script is bouncy and full of levity. Leanne’s faux-positive nurse’s patter drips with the irony of someone trying to stay perky in a palpably horrifying situation. The pacey and wired Nazia (Witney White) and emotionally volatile Mara (Leah Brotherhead) complete the foursome of patients, playing off each other with a curious dynamic of distance, competition and indirect emotional involvement.
It’s incredibly rich, powerful and straightforwardly dramatic writing, and a sextet of performances that carry the heft of its material with nuance, ferocity and wit. Some moments, such as those on a second level, can at times feel a little unnecessary, and there is occasionally more information than is needed to progress the plot. However, this story adds a new perspective to the genre of psychiatric institutional stories, joining the ranks of Girl, Interrupted, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and People, Places and Things, as a highly intelligent, deeply moving and powerful engagement with those who struggle to live in the world.
Some Demon is at Arcola Theatre until 6th July 2024 and Bristol Old Vic 9th – 13th July.
