Download · Review: One Flew Over the Cuckoo`s Nest

Review: ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST
Wollongong Workshop Theatre
Reviewer EMMA SPILLETT, Illawarra Mercury
Making a play about a mental institution interesting and audience-friendly is no easy task but Wollongong Workshop
Theatre's latest production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest manages to do just that.
The play is quite different to the popular 1975 film starring Jack Nicholson and audiences should not expect to see a
mirror of the movie.
The stage show is a lot darker than the film and gives an honest, almost shocking portrayal of the treatment of patients
in mental institutions of days gone by.
The role of Chief Bromden (played by Rod Plant) is expanded from the film.
Bromden's soliloquies punctuate much of the drama, and offer to audiences an insight into the Chief's world as a native
American Indian and the history behind his institutionalisation.
Plant's large stature and deep, booming voice do the character justice and he manages to effectively switch between the
Chief's almost catatonic state on the ward and his inner thoughts, expressed in the soliloquies.
Because the film version is so well-known there was the possibility of the actors replicating the work of those in the
movie.
Workshop's production avoids this and while Bruce Polonis' portrayal of McMurphy has hints of Nicholson's cheeky smile
and arrogance, he also brings a reality to the character that allows audiences to connect with him rather than abhor him.
Polonis captures McMurphy's quick wit, trouble with authority and desire to fit in extremely well and brings a welcome
element of physical comedy to the role.
Kim Griffin's turn as Nurse Ratched is one of the stand-outs of the show.
The ability to play a refined, poised character among a bunch of "crazy people" can't be an easy task but Griffin brings a
dignity and quiet sense of authority to the role that she carefully maintains throughout the play, despite McMurphy's
attempts to derail her efforts.
Cameron Campbell's performance as stuttering, self-doubting Billy Bibbit is also worth noting as he is completely
convincing and brings a youthful, genuine naivety to the role while maintaining a stutter for the entire show - again, not
an easy feat.
Similarly, Luke Berman's portrayal of Martini, a man suffering hallucinations is also eerily real and cleverly captivated
without deterring from the central action.
Director Lajos Hamers admitted to the Mercury earlier this month that the cast for the show had been finalised just weeks
before opening but audiences at Saturday night's performance would never have known.
The cast works together like a well-oiled machine and it is great to see so many capable, male actors taking to the stage
as they can often be sorely lacking in the Illawarra theatre community.
Although some of the cast members are virtual newcomers to the stage, they all perform extremely well, given the
show's difficult subject matter, constant dialogue and heavy stage direction.
Overall, the show gives a confronting glimpse into life in a mental institution and the characters that pass through the
halls and is a fitting interpretation of playwright Dale Wasserman's work.