The definition of sanity has changed over time, but to be simple, it is a question of what is real, what isn't, and who agrees on the answer.

Amedeo Astorino's new play Demens is set in an insane asylum, and observes the interactions between 4 people within it. At times the characters appear as real and gritty as car tyres, at others it feels as though you are looking into a doll's house.

The play's anchor in reality appears and disappears like the moon disappearing behind fast-moving cloud. Astorino's piece is open ended, and Director Bruce Langdon has gone to town with the mixture of surrealism and psychological disturbance.

There is a plot to follow within the play, but the characters all live within worlds of their own and trying to understand those worlds is the glue that grips the audience.

At times Demens is a montage of horror, and at others its funny and quick. The acting is excellent, the production is very minimal, but the script doesn't need much.

Personally I loved that the padding on the walls could be from a cell, but could also be from a sofa. You can decide which it is, but if you're wrong, does it mean that you are mad?

Demens is set in a mental instution and brings together the lives of two patients, a doctor and a nurse, all of whom are severely disturbed and damaged people. The setting of an asylum is not an original one in the theatre, a notable Australian example being Louis Nowra’s Cosi, and it would be very easy to fall into the trap of stereotype and the predictable conventions of playing “crazy”.

Fortunately, Demens avoids this largely due to the talent and sensitivity of the actors. The script is well-written and far better than most Australian plays I have seen of late, but in less capable hands it could have been quite a different experience. Sarah Bollenberg is outstanding as Valerie, bringing a vivacity and complexity to the role without falling into the stereotypical “hysterical female” territory. She is a commanding presence on stage and delivers the witty, delicious lines she is given with attitude. She uses her physicality extremely well to convey Valerie’s fragile mental state. Her whole body recoils from any possible touch from another character and the balancing act being carried out in her mind is presented in a literal way as she walks along an imagined tightrope, arms outstretched, when she gets uncomfortable with where a conversation is headed.

Glen Hancox is also excellent as the child-like Allan, who sometimes presents himself as wild and violent Stan, his deceased twin brother. Both personalities are well developed and distinct physically and vocally. Allan invites sympathy from the audience in his pathetic fear of his mother and his inability to reveal his homosexuality to her, but his dark side, embodied by Stan, is something to be afraid of and can be felt always lurking below the surface.

Nicholas Barker-Pendree plays Gabriel, a creepy nurse who tries to become far too involved with his charges. This is another role that could easily have been overplayed, but Barker-Pendree is restrained and his very presence on stage sends shivers down my spine!

Finally, Ian Rooney has a smaller part to play as an often drunk doctor, Osmond, who has lost his own son, but his experience and ability brings much to the role.

Both Gabriel and Osmond seem as insane as Valerie and Allan, but this “lunatics running the asylum” idea which has also been done many times before isn’t pushed too far or turned into a parody. The characters simply are who they are. All in all I was impressed with this production.

The simple but striking staging reminiscent of a padded cell in the intimate Dog Theatre was perfectly suited to the content. The only criticism of the production was that somewhere in the middle it dragged a little and became a tad repetitive in the encounters between the characters.

Demens is on until the 20th March, Wednesday to Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 5pm. I recommend taking the opportunity to see this while you can as a high quality example of local independent theatre. 

Reviewed for www.theatrenetwork.com.au