By its very name The Fantasist indicates a world of mystery and make-believe. What this intelligent and beautifully crafted play delivers however is a very real and very affecting internal battle that appears fantastical on the outside but is all too real for the protagonist Louise.
Highly skilled at both acting and physical theatre Julia Yevnine holds the audience entranced from the ingenious opening sequence as she tosses and turns in bed. From here on out we enter the inventive, hilarious and at times frightening world of her bi-polar disorder as she loses touch with reality and falls deeper into the ‘chasm’ of her mind.
The level of puppetry in the show is exceptional and each character is highly believable with demeanours ranging from the alluring to the terrifying and even the down-right adorable. With an arts and crafts feel that recalls French film The Science of Sleep, The Fantasist creates a world of intensity and vision inside the walls of one apartment and Louise’s own mind.
There are moments in this stunning piece of theatre which will genuinely unsettle and shock you as Louise hurls herself about the stage with incredible power. The Fantasist approaches mental health from the perspective of the mentally ill and you are made to swing from raucous laughter through to poignancy along with Louise as the hour unfolds. In terms of a message The Fantasist makes a comment on the inefficiency of the health care system as Louise retreats into the cupboard where the other voices exist. In an effective, stand-out scene her inability to relate to her friend and health worker is wonderfully construed through a switch of pace. We see the world speed-up as Louise slows down and drift further into fantasy.
Moving and truly thought-provoking, The Fantasist leaves a dark imprint on the mind where Louise’s story has been told. The final unnerving scenes will stay with you forever and suggest that there is still a lot to be learnt about mental health and how we can help.
