Insight
Theatre
Curious orange
Joe Penhalls play Blue/Orange premiered in Londons Robert unthinkingly makes racist comments and two Published Online
June 7, 2016
National Theatre in 2000, and is now revived at the Young white psychiatrists arguing about, but little including, a http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/
Vic. A three-actor, ideas-driven piece, it is constructed black man is jarring and uncomfortable to watch. The high S2215-0366(16)30119-5
around a struggle between two psychiatrists as they debate incidence of psychotic illness amongst young black men is Blue/Orange
the treatment of a patient. Christopher (Daniel Kaluuya), a as unresolved today as ever. By Joe Penhall, directed by
Matthew Xia
young black man, is in a London NHS psychiatric hospital. Some parts of Blue/Orange may frustrate. Like Young Vic Theatre, London, UK,
Hes nearing the end of 28 days spent under the Mental stereotypical ctional psychiatrists everywhere Robert until July 1, 2016
Health Act and is anticipating discharge. But Bruce (Luke and Bruce disregard boundaries, both professional and For more information see http://
Norris) a young, idealistic, psychiatrist in training is personal and at 2-and-a-half hours, with an interval, their www.youngvic.org/whats-on/
blue-orange
convinced Christopher has schizophrenia and wants him to contretemps is a little too long. Its simplistic in London to
remain in hospital for further assessment. characterise clinical encounters in terms of white doctors
This decision is not wholly Bruces however. Robert and black patients and for someone in danger of continued
(David Haig), a senior consultant and Bruces supervisor, compulsory hospital stay, Christophers psychopathology
has a very dierent view. In Roberts opinion, Bruces is underwhelming. Even in 2000, his insistence that an
diagnosis of schizophrenia is spurious. Rather than seriously (orange) orange is actually blue and his father being
psychiatrically ill, Christopher is simply fundamentally Ugandan dictator Idi Amin would never actually have
unsuited to navigating lifes vicissitudes. occasioned the furore depicted here.
A furious argument develops between the two doctors. But 16 years after it was rst performed, Blue/Orange is
Bruce is not inclined to defer to authority and, as rancour entertaining and still has things to say. The plays questions
increases, their disagreement spills over into personal about race and the role of the medical profession are as
point-scoring. The truth is never clear, and Penhall skilfully relevant today as they were more than a decade ago. Now,
works things so the audiences sympathy doesnt settle. as it was then, the NHS is at the heart of British political
Roberts laudable wish to grant Christopher his liberty is life, and faces many of the same challenges. This remains a
presented alongside his wish to free up a hospital bed. powerful piece of theatre.
Bruces apparent concern for Christopher in fact conceals a
fundamental contempt. And Christopher is quite capable of Stephen Ginn
playing the two o against one another.
Aptly, set designer Jeremy Herberts stage resembles a
boxing ring. A moat, spanned by two walkways, separates
the actors from an audience seated in the round. This
intimate set-up works in symbiosis with three terric
performances. Daniel Kaluuya, as Christopher, is edgy,
changeable, and essentially enigmatic. David Haigs
consultant perfectly balances comedy and menace,
whilst Luke Norris successfully plays it straight. Director
Matthew Xia sets an energetic pace and opts to start the
play well before a word is uttered. The audience enter the
theatre via a mocked up hospital corridor and a waiting
roomdishevelled and stale-smellingcontained below
the stage.
Penhall is an acute observer of the psychiatry profession,
with a nuanced grasp of medical hierarchy and the process
of diagnosis. For the psychiatrist there are uncomfortable
moments where one sees oneself as do others. Despite
their ostensible concern, it emerges that Robert and Bruce
actually care little about Christopher. Their allegiance is to
their careers and their argument is more about fuelling
Young Vic
their mutual self-regard than genuine concern. The issue
of race is never far from view. In unguarded moments
www.thelancet.com/psychiatry Vol 3 August 2016 e15
