theatre review

Diary Of A Madman

Fail Better

Set in Tsarist Russia, Nikolai Gogol's classic story of a class-conscious civil servant descending into delusion makes an appearance in Edinburgh this year as a one-man play, enacted by Chris Tester. Immediately the small, claustrophobic staging introduces you to the living quarters of this lonely and neurotic man, preparing you for the intensity of what is to come. Gradually, despair shuffles to the surface and time begins to break down, cleverly conveyed in this production as the patters of daily routine are manipulated into mania. It's a haunting study of mental breakdown, although one slightly limited by the distant preoccupations of the story's original cultural context (don't mention the revolution, as they say). A powerful and moving piece of theatre.

16 - 30 Aug, 1.25pm, prices vary, fpp 190

tw rating: 4/5

published: Aug-2009

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This show has been reviewed elsewhere in the Festival Media Network — follow the links here to read those reviews…

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