THEATRE REVIEW: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Sheffield Theatres

Crucible Theatre

Until Saturday, June 23

KEN Kesey’s novel about an insane asylum predicted — perhaps helped foment — the US youth rebellion of the 1960s.

The devil-may-care hippies and their psychedelics echoed this tale of defiance against authority, machismo in the face of emasculation.

The 1975 movie starring Jack Nicholson won five Oscars for its sympathetic portrayal of misfits and the mentally ill.

Sheffield's Crucible is the perfect setting for such a play, revealing every inmate’s mannerisms, creating a sense of constant exposure and vulnerability.

Each actor uses the space expertly — whether bounding around like Randle P McMurphy (Joel Gillman) or shuffling wretchedly, like Chief Bromden (Jeremy Proulx).

Glass cubes to the rear house the nurses’ station and the doctor’s office — keep one eye on the latter for some clever glimpses of that character.

To pick stand-out actors is simply impossible. Each man is thoroughly convincing and engaging, while the women make the most of rather two-dimensional characters.

In fact my only gripe is with the writing. With its focus on men and masculinity, women are defined only in their relations as smothering mothers or sexual diversions.

Maybe this reflects the author’s era, but the play does little to address this. (Even Nurse Ratched’s motives remain obscure.)

The climax is a real punch in the guts, shockingly violent and loud.

The grey walls — so cold at first, but warming with the inmate’s affections — flash red and black as a klaxon blares.

As the sirens fade and and loose ends are tied, I was left profoundly confused about how to feel — not a criticism, by any means.

This tale still touches a nerve, 56 years after it was written. That’s surely the mark of a successful show.

Its standing ovation was well-deserved — by none more than Nurse Ratched.

Jenny Livsey stepped into the role well past the eleventh hour, when Lucy Black was injured early in the run.

Livsey had just one run through before taking the stage, her script hidden in a binder she carried around.

The prop did not look out of place in a matron’s hands, and there were only a few times when she overtly read from it.

Yet again, Sheffield Theatres shows the world why the West End and Broadway don’t have a monopoly on top-tier theatre.