This Way Madness Lies, The Gregson, Lancaster

It's not often you see a performer stripping off and standing naked before an audience. But this is what Augustus Stephens, or Gus to use his less formal name, does three times during this show.

On the first occasion he stands wearing a short-sleeved white shirt and black trousers, these being his work clothes. He gives a voice to the shirt which complains about how it does not appreciate being associated purely with his work which Gus obviously does not enjoy. His job as a computer programmer is full of deadlines which seem impossible to meet and when his girlfriend leaves him, he walks out of his workplace and heads to a stream where he rips the shirt open sending buttons flying through the air. After burying the shirt he heads to a beach where his trousers and underpants are discarded and he sings about how refreshing it is to feel the air and sea water on his naked body. He then finds some clothes and enjoys the simple pleasure of eating an ice cream.

On the second occasion however, we find that his nudity has been observed and brought to the attention of the local constabulary. Fortunately he escapes with a warning but all is not well and his mental health deteriorates to the point where he is admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Any sharp objects are taken from him as he has developed an interest in self harm and he becomes convinced that his reflection in the mirror is telling him what to do.

You really felt his confusion, frustration and despair with all the different medics he encountered along with their rules and regulations but while many people would want to forget about such experiences, and certainly not talk to a room full of strangers about them, Gus seems to almost relish reliving what must have been pretty desperate times. It is perhaps his own way of reminding himself that despite a number of relapses resulting in more stays in hospital, he finally got back to some sort of normality and realised that he needed to make some profound changes in his life in order to take control and not descend once more into madness.

His performance is a powerful one with the small but appreciative audience at the Gregson in no hurry to leave at the end. Gus tweeted the next day that there had been “lovely comments from people afterwards”. Speaking for myself I was certainly affected by the show as I have faced similar demons in the past and it reminds us all of how important is it for society to provide secure hospital accommodation for those who suffer mental breakdowns and become a danger to themselves.

Gus is doing three nights at the Oxford fringe in June and is then taking a slightly shortened version of this show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August. It is a serious subject but there are laughs in the show plus little ditties he sings while accompanying himself on the guitar. There is also some audience participation which should go down well in Edinburgh.

Colin Bertram

27/03/2014