King’s Head Theatre – until 24 February. Reviewed by Claire Roderick
4****
Anita is Catherine’s best friend, adventurous and dangerous compared to withdrawn intellectual Catherine. The trouble is, only Catherine can see Anita, and Anita’s actions have terrible consequences.
We first meet Catherine as an adult, in a state of mild panic as she reunites with Anita and admits her partner’s terrible secret. Through flashbacks, Catherine’s story is gradually pieced together revealing a life of abuse and mental illness. David Ahonen has written a fascinating character, never trivialising or exploiting her, effortlessly highlighting the loneliness of those struggling with their mental health, and examining the terrible cycle of victimhood and victimiser. Between the shocking truths, there is lots of dark humour, but the audience is always laughing with Catherine, never at her.
Sarah Roy is mesmeric as Catherine, morphing through subtle changes in hairstyle and posture into younger versions of the character. As a 7-year-old and a 12-year-old, the precocious language and judgemental demeanour could be wearing, but Roy manages to allow the damaged child beneath to trickle through without any sense of melodrama. Holly Ellis’s lighting design, and the distorted music and sound effects between scenes adds to the feeling of disassociation and confusion.
One of the most moving scenes is Catherine’s first date, where she tells Dan all about her past and her treatment. Her calm descriptions are beautifully counterbalanced by her awkward jokes and naïve hope that this man will still want to get to know her, and the main message of the show is handled with great sensitivity as she explains why she would sometimes go off her meds because of the loneliness she feels without her best friend Anita.
Catherine and Anita is an extraordinarily performed, sensitive and stylish story that will touch your heart and hopefully stimulate conversations about mental health. Well worth a look.