4.48 Psychosis

Theatre by the River—Red River College

I had to do some digging before I tackled talking about 4.48 Psychosis. The playwright, Sarah Kane, wrote this play during an episode of severe depression. It was a state that had affected her all her life. The play was completed shortly before she tragically committed suicide.

Presented as stream of consciousness, the script requires the audience to really focus in order to follow the actor’s journey. Over the course of the hour, many topics are explored, some of which are connectedness, self-worth, self-affirmation and choice. The darkness and despair dug into the play comes from the character’s inability to reconcile the barrage of thoughts she cannot escape. Ultimately, she is inundated. She simply disappears.

Elizabeth Whitbread courageously tackles this material and succeeds in delivering a cohesive and sensitive performance. She is able to create, for the audience, some order in the chaos.

This play is exhausting to attend. But in the end, although we are profoundly saddened, we are fortunate to be able to walk away.

Michelle Cook