DIAGNOSIS
Finborough Theatre
★★★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.
DIAGNOSIS
Finborough Theatre
Reviewed on 15th May 2025
by Luke Goscomb
Photography by Alex Walton
Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:
THE INSEPERABLES | ★★★ | April 2025
THE PASSENGER | ★★★★ | February 2025
KAFKA | ★★ | June 2024
THE TAILOR OF INVERNESS | ★★★ | May 2024
BANGING DENMARK | ★★★ | April 2024
FOAM | ★★★★ | April 2024
JAB | ★★★★ | February 2024
THE WIND AND THE RAIN | ★★★ | July 2023
SALT-WATER MOON | ★★★★ | January 2023
PENNYROYAL | ★★★★ | July 2022
