A gene pool of misery
Image: Anatomy of a Suicide at Seymour Centre. Image: Seymour Centre hero
Anatomy of a Suicide is an award winning play that examines mental illness and depression and the possibility that they may be hereditary, whether through DNA or enculturation. The strident title of this play is indicative of British author, Alice Birch’s approach to writing. She will step boldly into territory others fear to enter.
In its season at the Old Fitz Theatre in 2019, Anatomy of a Suicide drew ecstatic reviews and it now returns with the same director, Shane Anthony, and much of the same cast for a season at the Seymour Centre.
Three generations of women – mother, daughter, grand-daughter – are presented on stage simultaneously, each in their own scenario and time period. Carol, the top of the family tree, is played again by Anna Samson. Carol’s scenes take place in the 1970s.
Anna, next in line, is played in this production by Anna Houston and her time-frame is the 1990s. Bonnie, the third generation, is played by Kate Skinner who is also reprising the role from the Old Fitz season. Bonnie exists in the speculative world of 2030s.
Though the characters do no directly interact, their stories and even their dialogue intertwine. There are words and phrases that become shared leitmotifs, spoken simultaneously. Their lives are presented with all the light and shade of reality – from the mundane to the highly dramatic.
It’s a beautifully and intelligently constructed play, balanced with genuinely funny moments. But it is also a story about suicide, depression, drug use, trauma and other potentially upsetting subject matter, so be aware.
October 6 − 29
Seymour Centre, Corner City Rd and Cleveland St, Chippendale
https://www.seymourcentre.com/event/anatomy-of-a-suicide/
