A boisterous, ribald and ultimately devastating story of a mental hospital and its inhabitants, Monster media presents One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at the Southbank Theatre for a limited season from 1 June 2017.
Nurse Ratched runs her ward with icy efficiency. With a firm hand on medication, treatment and basic necessities, her word is law and dissent is punished. Into this isolated world struts Randle P. McMurphy, a charming rogue who has chosen a stint in the mental institution rather than face prison. Brash and rebellious, he soon ignites a power struggle that can only end in their mutual destruction.
In a world where sanity means conformity and following the rules is the only way to survive, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a powerful exploration of the beauty and the danger of being an original. Based on Ken Kesey’s classic novel, it has left an indelible mark on literature, theatre and film.
Adapted by Playwright Dale Wasserman, from the novel by Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest opened on Broadway in 1963 with Kirk Douglas (McMurphy), Ed Ames (Chief), Gene Wilder (Billy) and Joan Tetzel (Nurse Ratched). The New York Times calling it “scarifying and powerful,” while the New York Daily News said it was “funny, touching, and exciting.”
Considered to be one of the greatest films ever made, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was released on film in 1975. Directed by Miloš Forman, it starred Jack Nicholson as McMurphy and Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched.
It was the second film to win all five major Academy Awards (Best Picture, Actor in Lead Role, Actress in Lead Role, Director, and Screenplay), following It Happened One Night in 1934, an accomplishment not repeated until 1991 by The Silence of the Lambs. It also won numerous Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards. In 1993, the film was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress
Playwright Dale Wasserman has worn almost every theatre hat from lighting designer to producer and director. His abrupt career change to writer has seen success in every performance venue. His theatre credits include, Man of La Mancha, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Beggar’s Holiday, Western Star, How I Saved the Whole Damn World, An Enchanted Land, and his most recent work A Walk in the Sky.
Television and feature film credits include The Power and the Glory, Circle of Death, Perchance to Dream, Cleopatra, and Aboard the Flying Swan. He has received over forty-five awards including Emmys, Tonys, Ellys, and Robys. His two most popular plays, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Man of La Mancha, have made him one of the most produced American playwrights worldwide. He died in 2008.
Director: Carl J. Sorheim Featuring: Natalie Bond, Nicholas Denton, Jack Dixon-Gunn, Josh Futcher, David Gannon, Catherine Glavicic, Kostas Ilias, Troy Larkin, Stephanie Lillis, Paul Morris, Eddie Muliaumaseali’i, Seton Pollock, Michael Robins, Angela Scundi, Ben Sofowora Production Designer: Sarah Tulloch Lighting Designer: Jason Crick
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
The Lawler – Southbank Theatre, 140 Southbank Boulevard, Southbank
Season: 1 – 11 June 2017
Information and Bookings: www.mtc.com.au
Image: courtesy of Monster Media