October
Last night the 69 Degrees team were lucky enough to attend a performance of One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest at Curve Theatre in Leicester. Michael Buffong, whose previous projects have enjoyed enormous success, directs the production based on the cult classic film and Ken Kesey novel as part of the Autumn/Winter season.
The performance follows Randle P. McMurphy’s (Michael Beckley) first experiences in an Oregan correctional facility, as he desperately tries to avoid hard labour in prison. His anti-authoritarian attitude and compassion for his fellow patients makes him a prime target for the fearsome Nurse Ratched, leading to explosive results for Randle and those caught in the cross fire.
The attention to detail of the show was spectacular, from the warped perspective of the stage set to the profound and harrowing characters, the performance leaves the audience with the unsettling feeling that they’ve caught a rare glimpse into the lives of ‘patients’ at the Oregon correctional facility. Each and every character, from the ruthless Nurse Ratched (Catherine Russell) to the fragile Billy Babbitt (Alexander Campbell), is performed with such honesty and skill that it leaves the audience feeling both uplifted and disheartened.
The performance was volatile and dark, humorous, thought provoking and gut wrenching all in one. Not to be missed.
http://www.curveonline.co.uk/curve.php?view=showinfo.php&showid=243
(We also interviewed Thomas Renshaw, who plays Chief Bromden, earlier this month. Find the interview here: http://69-degrees.com/2011/10/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest-thomas-renshaw-interview/)
