Dr Freud’s Cabaret

Wed 1 and Thurs 2 Dec, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

words: Michael Brown

Endlessly controversial but undeniably revolutionary, Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud was unfortunately better known for his divisive views on psychology than for his passion for musical theatre. This begs the inevitable, age-old question: what if Freud and his patients were involved in a cabaret? Bravely taking it upon themselves to address this long-standing issue, Wales-based musicians and writers Charlotte Greig and Anthony Reynolds present unto you Dr Freud’s Cabaret.

The foundations of the musical’s plot revolve around Freud and his cash-flow problem, to which his right-hand man, Welsh psychoanalyst Ernest Jones, suggests a kind of freak show, taking Freud’s most famous patients out on tour. Featuring some of the doctor’s best-loved subjects including Anna O, Dora, the Wolf Man, the Rat Man and Little Hans, Dr Freud’s Cabaret takes its audience on a journey through Freud’s theories and, ultimately, his life.

Greig claims that the impetus for the production came from a songwriting session with Reynolds; after reading Freud’s Studies in Hysteria, she began singing phrases from the story of Anna O, developing lyrics and a narrative which led to months of hard work crafting songs for other patients. The musical aspects of the production have already been showcased in a variety of live performances, culminating in a sold out show at the Freud Museum in London. December’s shows at the Chapter Arts Centre will mark the first time the production is performed in its entirety, complete with the theatrical expertise of Gerald Tyler and magician Jasper The Illusionist.

The small cast, Grieg claims, ‘mimics the basic process of psychoanalysis itself: the patient and the physician, allowing themselves the freedom to play, to swap voices, words, personalities, even, at will’. It is this balance of the serious and the entertaining, the solemn and the comical that culminates in Dr Freud’s Cabaret’s distinctly unique charms. For Freud fans or those looking for something a little bit different in the way of evening entertainment, Dr Freud’s Cabaret presents a inimitable opportunity to analyse (and potentially deride) one of the world’s great thinkers.

Tickets: £8-£12. Info: 029 2030 4400 / http://www.chapter.org/