A keen observation of humanity
Joe Penhall’s play Blue/Orange takes place on a stylishly simple white set, designed by Jana Lakatos, which is furnished with white furniture, a water fountain and a coffee table with a bowl of oranges upon it, writes Linda Emmanuel.
Junior Psychiatrist, Dr Rubina Farooqui (Rhianne Barreto), believes her client, a young black man, Christopher (Matthew Morrison), should be detained under Section 3 for further assessment and treatment, because she suspects that he suffers from schizophrenia with borderline personality disorder and may be a danger to himself and others. Christopher had already been sectioned after being found acting in a strange way; he thought he was being watched due to being the son of African Dictator Idi Amin and trying to sell what he saw were blue oranges.
Senior Psychiatrist Dr Robert Smith (John Michie), ambitious and full of his own self-importance and superiority, disagrees with that diagnosis and insists that Christopher is well enough to re-enter the community to be with ‘his people’ on the White City Estate in West London, where the residents are predominantly black.
Christopher finds himself in the middle of this power-play between Rubina and her superior. During a discussion, where he is present but not included, he quips, “…you’re driving me round the bend…’, which points to the comedy that is peppered throughout the production. We see Christopher as his mood swings from excitement at the prospect of going home, to being deeply depressed when he is made to distrust Rubina by the manipulative Robert.
Although Blue/Orange first opened in April 2000, the themes of mental health support, misogyny, racial inequality, chronic underfunding in the NHS, and academic one-upmanship, the story remains the same and playwright Joe Penhall’s keen observation of humanity in these challenging circumstances is spot on.
The direction by James Haddrell, is expertly handled and the three actors, who work very well together to brilliantly bring their characters to life, bring out the pathos and the comedy of this tale, to the delight of the audience.
With a growing mental health crisis in the UK, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, this production serves to open discussions about the state of Mental Health Care services and whether the Community Care Act will be effective and able to deal with the growing numbers of people who need them.
I highly recommend getting a ticket.
Greenwich Theatre until 25th October 2025. Booking and full details: https://greenwichtheatre.org.uk/events/blueorange/
