The Yellow Wallpaper

A single sheet of hideously unattractive yellow wallpaper and a sterile-looking single bed of the type that should only ever be seen in a hospital ward set the scene for this chilling gothic drama about one woman’s journey into madness.

The script, adapted by Tana Sirois and Connie Brice, remains faithful to the original text by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, although touches have been thrown in to give the production a more contemporary edge, such as the sinister lighting, sound effects and positioning of the actors during certain pieces of their dialogue.

The play is well conceived: rather than displaying any signs of the “nervous depression” that her physician husband has diagnosed her with, Charlotte comes across as fresh-faced, clear of tone and just rather bland at first. It is as the play and her confinement continue that we see her demeanour begin to change; She becomes flushed, her hair comes loose and her clothes come off. Eventually the horrifying image of the figure which creeps, bent double and cackling, around the wallpaper of the room bears no resemblance to the rather boring one we were first faced with when the lights went up.

Despite the impact that all this has on us, though, the acting, unfortunately, still leaves something to be desired. Helen Foster, who plays Charlotte, executes the part well, but does not bring quite enough depth to the part. Also, Ed Croft’s speech, as the husband John, could be better paced, as his words would carry more weight if they were not rushed through.