Patient No1

Published Wednesday 7 May 2008 at 13:40 by Kevin Berry

Christmas 2009 and George W Bush, now a blubbering emotional wreck, is admitted to an isolated Florida psychiatric clinic. But is he trying to avoid being put on trial?

The American writer Donald Freed’s new play, penned in response to what he sees as the failing state of his nation, is part paranoid thriller, part comic book lampoon. Bush cannot speak and he avoids eye contact. His secret serviceman guides him with hand gestures, like some spooky car park attendant.

A liberal leaning psychiatrist, played quite effectively by Jon Farris, tries to help Bush. January comes and the clinic staff have disappeared. The psychiatrist and Bush and the secret serviceman are alone and the psychiatrist talks of the mysterious ‘they’ wanting rid of Bush.

Jon Farris has 99% of the dialogue. He gives the play its shifting conscience. Robert Pickavance is Bush, but try as he does, a tall, lean Bush takes too much believing. Bush Senior, yes. The secret service agent, Jonathan Race, is no more than caricature, which is as he should be.

Despite a well thought out set from Joanna Scotcher, the play suffers by being in a limited studio space. There is little impression of isolation and the climatic storm, which is also a metaphor, is hardly as shattering as it should be. Neither is the dramatic storm.

Still, the retro Bush portable radio on the psychiatrist’s shelf did raise one or two smiles.