We round up the reviews for this revival of Sarah Kane’s final play, playing at the theatre until the 5th July, before heading up to the Other Place in Stratford-upon-Avon until 27 July.
WhatsOnStage: ***** “The acting is intense, spare, and watchful. Every line has meaning, every movement has intent. It is an overwhelming experience. At the close, the actors open the windows of the space and let in light and sound. Sitting there, quietly, reluctant to move, feels like an act of remembrance – but also an acknowledgement of the power of words to help us understand.”
The Arts Desk: **** “This current reboot, which remains powerful enough to leave me shaken, also seals the play in the aspic of commemoration. It’s a poor choice for this venue, which has a reputation for radical innovation rather than nostalgic repetition. Not only are the cast arguably now too old for such a young person’s play – Kane was 28 when she killed herself – but it’s depressing that they are all white: isn’t it time that contemporary classics were staged with at least some non-white actors? Still, for those new to Kane this restaged production does offer a kind of definitive experience: I only hope it will inspire challenges from other theatre-makers, as well as new and innovative explorations of her work.”
West End Best Friend: ***** “4.48 Psychosis is an unflinching portrayal of the reality of battling mental illness. It is a once in a lifetime, must-see show.”
The Guardian: *** “There is still value in its staging and poignancy, too. It is beautifully performed with moments of bared anguish and delicate detail. The opening of the stage windows, a countervailing gesture to the reflection of a closed window on stage, is a haunting, yet exhilarating, final image.”
All That Dazzles: *** “4.48 Psychosis is certainly an interesting play and unlike any I have seen before. As I have mentioned, I have a great appreciation for the art itself and the way the piece has been delivered this time around. Subjectivity is more apparent with this production than most of the others I have seen, and it is a shame I struggled to get much out of it myself. Leaving the theatre feeling confused, cold, and slightly uninspired, I couldn’t fault the choices in the production or Kane’s often exquisite writing in itself, I just couldn’t understand why my response to it was so indifferent.”
The Telegraph: **** “This is a must-see revival of the searing last play by Sarah Kane – in which the most distinctive voice of the 1990s young playwriting wave experimentally explored the subject of suicide via a stream of utterances that combined stark declaration with cryptic lyricism…”
The Standard: *** “Inevitably it foreshadows her suicide. Her early death prompted a re-evaluation of her work from those (including me) who had misunderstood it: but it also unhelpfully canonised her as a tortured and misunderstood artist, making a clear and uncluttered appreciation of her writing almost impossible. I came out of the Court feeling subdued, sad and unenlightened, but writing this hours later in a bright dawn, I find the play’s combative humanity and its striking final image of escape have stayed with me.”
Theatre & Tonic: ***** “The movement also worked flawlessly with the set. The way that the performers would face the mirror, looking in on themselves, added an intimate layer where you felt like you were truly hearing their inner thoughts. Equally, the stillness of the final scene, with each performer lying down in staged death poses, was nihilistic and haunting. “
The Stage: **** “Twenty-five years on, Sarah Kane’s final play still devastate.”
Broadway World: ***** “The weight of Kane’s history weighs heavily on the room, but so does the cathartic release found in the act of writing. After the anger subsides, a moment of clarity reminds us what it means to be human. The meaning of artistry emerges with a complicated push and pull: her nihilistic view combines with the desire to create and leave a mark. A pin could drop in the front row and you’d hear it from the very back. The ending brings on the apotheosis of symbolism, welcoming a world Kane never saw into the darkness of the auditorium. There must be something really wrong if you exit the show as unaffected as you entered it. “
London Theatre 1: ***** “Macdonald’s direction is fluid, as is the chemistry between actors. Nigel Edwards’ lighting design punctuates the ending of scenes before seamlessly switching to the next with little room for pause. This is pacy yet affords breathing space. The artists and creatives behind the production truly understand the work and its nature of nonlinear form. We sense all are aboard here in showcasing the swansong of a great.”
To book tickets for the London run visit: https://royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/4-48-psychosis-4/