A Figure In The Yellow Paper

A loose adaptation of American gothic feminist/horror story The Yellow Paper, written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892), writer/director Eleanor Golding has offered an ambitious modern interpretation that takes this tale to another level.

Cora (Natasha Bowers) has agoraphobia brought on by a road accident where she lost her young infant. Evan (Jackson Cross) her partner is deeply concerned about her mental state. He cannot tear her away from her compulsive obsession to watch the news and fester on crime and victims. He arranges time out for her, in a rundown beach house with no internet connection. Cora, although reticent decides it could help her heal.

The Perkins- Gilman story is the first story to address Post Natal Depression (perceived as a mental illness up until 1994). And yet Golding has jumped over the metaphorical symbolism in the original text and instead devised a captivating show that addresses the numbing effects of patriarchy and the veracity of female empowerment.

Cora is left alone, her phone battery is running low, her phone connections are fuzzy and is deprived of a phone charger. Meanwhile, Evan who is “seriously” switched on, has her under surveillance, seeking confidence and support from his online Grief Support Group. When Cora sees a ghostly female figure (Charlie Morris) in the decaying yellow wallpaper, her troubled psyche ventures into a different space.

Evan believes she is slowly losing her mind and to wants to prove it, so that he can move on with his life. She on the other hand, despite weak, gains strength from the yellow wallpaper. The strange twist of events near the end  are cleverly executed, eventually offering freedom and justice for Cora.

The show relies on lighting and special effects to convey meaning and metaphor (Producer/ Lighting Designer Chris Patrick Hansen). The sound conveyed an eeriness, at times very loud and sometimes masking the acting and the drama.

This is a fascinating and absorbing production, all round good work from a bunch of hard-working creatives.

Natasha Bowers was replaced by Eleanor Golding due to illness for this performance.

Flora Georgiou

Image Credit: Steven Mitchell Wright