★★★½

“an original and interesting show led by two excellent performances”

The 16th of May 2035. 3:37am. A woman has been arrested and brought in for questioning regarding an assault on a man in a bar on Villiers Street in central London, but it is very quickly apparent that this is not a normal interview. Firstly, she does not deny the assault. However, what makes the interview more unusual is that the woman is disabled and is consistently referred to as a ‘vulnerable adult’. Diagnosis is an exploration of the treatment and of societal attitudes towards people with disabilities and the bureaucracy, which should protect them actually harming them.

The woman (Athena Stevens) under question remains nameless throughout the show and is even referred to as ‘S/he’ in the show’s programme. Evidently deliberate, this provides one of the key messages of the show – how society ‘others’ people with disabilities and their stories meaning that they are often left unheard, and their talents left unutilised. Here, she has an unusual gift, claiming that she can see people’s ‘sell-by’ dates and what tragedy will befall them. But he won’t listen.

This undertone is reinforced throughout as our officer (Ché Walker) takes light relief in the messages received from a colleague who is detailing watching foxes from his early morning watch post. He also talks very dismissively of her, stating that she is: “Physically impaired, mental capacity undetermined.”

The other key message of the piece is regarding the dangers of overly bureaucratic procedures and processes. The checks and balances that should protect vulnerable people can really just serve to protect the established order. We see this in a specific scenario. Public Oversight Code 22 (PO-22) is a common feature, an article providing a façade of protecting rights in interactions with ‘vulnerable individuals’ when it is really providing cover for inaction and delays. She thinks it means that she will be heard, whereas he knows it means he won’t have to listen. He says to a colleague: “We just need to log the assault before we can let her go.”

The two main actors are also the writer (Stevens) and director (Walker) of the show, quite fitting that they are the ones to bring their work to life. These elements are carefully woven into the plot and dialogue of the characters, with excellent timing. One can enjoy the irony of the officer verbally detailing the reason for the additional procedural features of this interview while simultaneously showing his impatience with them. The scene is cleverly designed (Juliette Demoulin), with the interview both in front of us and projected onto a screen behind. Slate-coloured walls flank the performance, a familiar sight from any crime drama.

At times, the plot asks quite too much of the audience, straying too far into fantasy. This damages the seriousness and importance of the moral of this story, which do get lost when the storyline flirts with science-fiction. The plot needs a bit more substance to get to its punchline without these ‘jumps’, which do seem to interrupt the flow. Nonetheless, it remains an original and interesting show led by two excellent performances.

THE INSEPERABLES

Finborough Theatre

★★★

“there is a lightness to this interpretation, and a guarded feel that at times shields its essence”

Rather than her novels, Simone de Beauvoir’s most enduring contribution to literature are her memoirs. It is no surprise, therefore, that the novelist, philosopher and feminist activist’s works of fiction also contain strong elements of autobiography. Particularly her early novella, “The Inseparables”, which describes her relationship with her classmate – Elizabeth Lacoin. Also known as ‘Zaza’, she crops up in other novels in disguised form, so it is evident that she had a lasting impact on de Beauvoir’s life. “The Inseparables” was never published during her lifetime. Jean Paul Sartre disapproved of it, and it was deemed ‘too intimate’ at the time. There has been much conjecture since as to whether they were ‘just friends’. There is no evidence of a physical relationship, but it is hard to deny that there was an attraction and erotic tension between the two of them.

Grace Joy Howarth’s stage adaptation is a faithful recreation of the adolescent relationship, although it does little to suggest why it was considered too provocative for publication in the nineteen-fifties. Set during, and just after, the first world war in France, it kicks off with the first encounter between schoolgirl Sylvie Lapage and new pupil, Andrée Gaillard. Sylvie had previously prayed for an end to the war, but the answer arrives in the form of this beguiling new classmate. Lara Manela captures Andrée’s playful tone, and Ayesha Ostler, as Sylvie is suitably captivated. Both portray the wide-eyed wonder of nine-year-olds without seeming childish. The subtle mannerisms illustrate the precociousness, but neither is afraid to wallow in youthful exuberance.

Sylvie (the fictional de Beauvoir) is bored and intellectually lonely, so meeting this clever, irreverent girl changes her life. Andrée is physically confident and has a talent for literature and music. It is easy to see why Sylvie would be attracted, and likewise Andrée’s fascination with Sylvie’s vulnerability that Ostler conveys so convincingly. However, beyond this, the chemistry is somewhat lacking, barely penetrating the intellectual veneer. Sylvie talks as much to the audience as to Andrée, which is a neat device that director Anastasia Bunce uses to good effect, but the writing leaves little room for the underlying eroticism and tension. The scenes are short and sharp, sometimes leaving the two, multi-rolling supporting cast – Caroline Trowbridge and Alexandre Costet-Barmada – breathless from their rebounding entrances and exits.

The second act finds the girls on the cusp of adulthood, Andrée now betrothed to Pascal Blondel (a slightly restrained Costet-Barmada). The tables have turned, and Sylvie is supposed to be the more subversive influence. The play never really gets to grips with the rebelliousness, and we are distanced further from the knowledge that these characters are representations of historically significant individuals. We are steered towards some poignancy in the final scenes, but the sense of inseparableness is never fully realised by Ostler and Manela. When Sylvie declares of Andrée that “life without her would be death”, the words aren’t quite supported by the emotion.

Abraham Walking-Lea’s lighting evokes the setting, reinforced by Jessica Brauner’s more literal video backdrops. Metaphorical flourishes are thrown in by Bunce, sometimes illuminating (the symbolic significance of Andrée’s violin); at other times confusing (the scattering of roses to depict an act of self-harm). But overall, there is a lightness to this interpretation, and a guarded feel that at times shields its essence. With its engaging central performances, it glides safely through the pivotal episodes of the novel. The story calls for a less gentle ride though. With more passion. The original question of whether they were ‘just friends’ is left unaddressed and long forgotten. But we do get a good feel of the camaraderie, and mutual regard, even if we are not quite convinced that they are inseparable.

DIAGNOSIS

Finborough Theatre

★★★½

“an original and interesting show led by two excellent performances”

DIAGNOSIS

Finborough Theatre

Reviewed on 15th May 2025

by Luke Goscomb

Photography by Alex Walton

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

DIAGNOSIS

DIAGNOSIS

DIAGNOSIS

THE INSEPERABLES

Finborough Theatre

★★★

“there is a lightness to this interpretation, and a guarded feel that at times shields its essence”