One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - May 2012
by Dale Wasserman (and based on the novel by Ken Kesey)
Many of you will be familiar with the film of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which cemented the cinematic reputation of Jack Nicholson. It started life, however, as Ken Kesey's novel, published in 1962. The following year, it was adapted by Dale Wasserman as a stage play for Broadway.
Randle McMurphy escapes criminal justice by faking insanity. He is duly sent to a mental institution for evaluation. He soon establishes himself as a an authority figure with the other inmates and eggs them on in a series of capers and attempted break-outs, to the increasing consternation of hospital staff.
We begin to suspect that he has got himself in too deep, however, as he gets sucked into his role as a mental patient, being subjected to increasingly severe treatments. The story is hard to categorise - it contains a lot of comedy, but is also a complex drama which examines the boundaries of what we call "mental illness" and how we treat its victims. Moreover, it is a thriller which keeps us guessing whether McMurphy and his chums will beat the system or will be crushed by it.
The play will be directed by Heather Davies.