Diary of a Madman

About the Production

"I love going to the theatre. As long as I've a kopeck in my pocket you can't stop me."

In this bold devised adaptation we re-imagined Gogol's short story as a Beckettian one-man show played out within the confines of a claustrophobic room. The audience observe Axenty's anxieties and routine obsessions break down over a period of time. The interrogation of a dog and creation of a kingly cloak make way for a clarity and release through madness. During the course of the play, we see the room and the man stripped bare - previous selves are rendered performances over with, and his ultimate state is revealed as that of "unaccommodated man".

One of Gogol's great short story masterpieces, 'Diary of a Madman' focuses on the life of Axenty Ivanovich, a low-ranking civil servant who yearns to be noticed by a beautiful woman. His diary records his gradual slide from reason into delusion. His intermittent encounters with Sophie, the radiant daughter of his official superior, provoke an obsession that leads to him "overhearing" two dogs discussing his hopelessness. As such hallucinations become more frequent he finds solace - and his ultimate rationale - in a new identity as the rightful king of Spain, whose enemies he believes have engineered his imprisonment and torture. When he is hauled off and maltreated by the authorities, the madman believes he is taking part in a strange induction to the Spanish throne. Throughout the story, interludes of clarity provide striking counterpoint to the deepening psychosis.

"Fail Better's accomplished one-man performance [featuring] ... an enchanting Chris Tester ... terse direction ... an absorbing performance ... clever lighting design ... a set [that] perfectly captures the claustrophobic mania ... a reminder that madness sits dangerously close to us all."
Time Out London

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