One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest - Palace Theatre - 21/05/07 by Julia Taylor

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is best known for the film version starring Jack Nicholson. But I would argue that Ken Kesey’s novel, adapted by Dale Wasserman, has far more impact on the stage. For it draws you into the heart of the psychiatric hospital where it all happens, so that you almost feel like a patient yourself!

The atmosphere is established when flashing red lights accompany forks of electricity crackling through the window - to the credit of Chris Davey, lighting designer. Even the set sends shivers down your spine. For it is dominated by Nurse Ratched’s medication booth containing a mike from which she booms out orders to her charges.

The routine of the poor blokes encapsulated there is heart breaking. Nurse Ratched, their charge nurse uses the daily group therapy sessions for nothing short of mental torture.Whilst pretending to be kind she homes in on the weaknesses of her vulnerable patients reducing them to quivering wrecks.

What’s more they were aware that bad behaviour could result in electric shock treatments or even worse. But then a very different sort of patient arrives, a rebel who can face up to her. He is Randle P. McMurphy who, after being “over zealous in sexual relations” has chosen the asylum in preference to prison. And this is where Shane Richie comes into his own.

It was obvious that many of the 1500 strong audience were young people who had seen him on Eastenders and were attending simply as fans. Yet they were mesmerised by the humour, sadness and tragic ending of this play and they saw Shane in a different light, as an exceptionally competent straight character actor in the role of the incompliant Randle.

Shane obviously enjoyed being the rebel who called the charge nurse “Miss Rat Shit”. In a brief chat beforehand, he said: “I wanted to give my slant on it. How you react to the others defines your character.” Randle befriended patients encouraging them to watch ball games at forbidden times and enjoy a wild party with smuggled in women guests.

Unfortunately, the party was to be his downfall and would lead to the tragic ending. He found his equal in Sophie Ward as the calculating Nurse Ratched. Her character couldn’t have been more different yet you could sense a sexual frisson between them. Sophie cleverly hinted at this side of the nurse in a performance that equalled Shane’s.

An unusual, yet crucial part was played perfectly by Brendan Dempsey as Chief Bromden, an American Indian believed to be mute. In fact, Brendan acted as narrator but didn’t officially speak until the second half. His earliest words were “I’m not big enough”. He was a giant of a man but even he couldn’t face up to Nurse Ratched.

Yet those words were prophetic since he eventually proved to be big both mentally and physically. He used his strength in a heartbreakingly sad way to prove his loyalty to the man who had returned him to the real world. But don’t think this is a sad play. In places it is rib ticklingly funny, most of the humour coming from the patients themselves including Randle P. McMurphy.himself