Any preconceptions about Some Voices being an updated version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest set in West London should be dispelled, however entertaining a prospect that may have been.  Mental illness is indeed the catalyst for events in this play, but it does not serve as its driving force; that, instead, is derived from powerful and poignant exploration of the highs and lows of relationships that is complemented, in this production, by a great ensemble of actors.

Gethin Anthony plays Ray, a schizophrenic who is released from hospital into the supervision of his brother Pete (Rick Merrick), a man who only ever reveals one dimension, the rest of his character having been worn away by
the duty of having to care for his mentally ill brother.  Indeed, it is notable that Ray is imbued with a far more rounded and appealing personality than his "normal" brother, and this is just one of the devices that simultaneously draws the focus away from Ray's characterisation as a schizophrenic and challenges preconceptions about the nature of mental illness.   For example, the paranoia that is a well-known feature of the condition is barely evidenced in Ray, but instead is dangerously prevalent in the character of Dave, an emotionally and physically abusive man whose girlfriend Laura gradually becomes the focus of Ray's life.

Laura (Fiona Ryan) and Ray are linked by loneliness and pushed together by the failures of their other relationships.  Wary and defensive at first, Laura becomes something of a saviour to Ray, but ultimately their
relationship is prised apart by the external force of Dave's jealousy and violence, and Ray's own increasing instability.  The scenes between the two lovers are convincing and genuinely touching, as is one particularly
powerful scene between Laura and Dave.  In fact, the five members of this cast portray the difficult relationships between their characters with skill and imagination, and Gethin Anthony, as the central figure, deserves particular credit for his believable performance as the endearing Ray.

Even in today's apparently no-holds-barred society, mental illness remains something of a taboo (Pete refers to his brother's condition as "wotsit" and "thingy"), but by weaving the theme of mental illness into the backdrop of
dysfunctional relationships, the playwright  (Joe Penhall) challenges this taboo in a subtle and effective way. Penhall has said that he wanted to capture the "true misery and loneliness of schizophrenia" in a way that newspaper articles did not and, in this production, his desire has certainly been fulfilled.

Alison Gowland 25/01/05