New treatment of old ground
Blue/Orange covers some familiar territory but all is not quite as it seems, says Edward O'Hare
It is a brave playwright who creates a comedy around subjects like racial prejudice, social alienation and mental illness. Blue/Orange by Joe Penhall tackles all three subjects without simplifying them or abandoning the neutral perspective from which they must be viewed. By using comedy, the play is free to examine the notion of political correctness as a dangerous force. The result is a quality piece of theatre notable for its thematic daring, depth of characterisation and searing satire.
Christopher is a young man who has been taken to a London psychiatric hospital by the police. Having come to the end of his period of detention his supervisors must now decide whether or not he can be allowed back into society. Junior counsellor Bruce Flaherty believes that Christopher may be suffering from schizophrenia. Consultant psychiatrist Robert Smith maintains that a far greater damage will be done to Christopher if he is kept in hospital. Their disagreement is exacerbated by another factor. Christopher is black.
Out of this basic scenario, Penhall manages to develop a number of hard questions concerning the relationship between our ethnic backgrounds and our mental character. How much does our ethnic background influence the way we think? Is it possible for a type of behaviour that would be classed in our society as mental illness to be viewed as perfectly normal in another? What consequences are the decisions of the political power-brokers having upon our mental well-being? These are questions that the play treats soberly and honestly.
Penhall has a talent for gritty, unadorned dialogue. He invests the play with a mordant wit reminiscent of Pinter that allows the characters transcend convention. The young idealist's battle with his cynical superior is a familiar plotline, as is the idea of patients being used as unwitting pawns in the machinations of others. However, Penhall manipulates the situation so that things are never what they seem.
Flaherty's tolerance is only paper thin. Smith, the would-be villain, makes the believable case that he is just another cog in the health service machine. Even Christopher, the initial victim, proves quick to abuse the power he is given.
Ultimately Blue/Orange is an uncomfortable examination of some of the major concerns in 21st-century society and makes it painfully clear that there are no easy answers in situations such as the one it presents.
The play has a number of weaknesses. It tosses up more intellectual skittles in the first act than it can't possibly expect to catch in the second, and at times becomes a little too farcical for its own good. Nevertheless, it remains a highly intelligent and thought-provoking treatment of these serious topics.
Christopher Staines is well cast as the impotent Flaherty. Emmanuel Ighodaro gives a compelling, impassioned performance as Christopher. Dominating the play, though, is George Costigan, as the amiable yet demonic Dr Smith. With his bulging, ever-moving eyes and sharp suits, Costigan makes the most of every line he has. It is an expert and memorable performance which provides the play with a great deal of its power to surprise. And as for the surprising title – well, you'll just have to see it to work that out.