Review: Beyond therapy

Meeting new people is always complicated. Add to this situation the difficulties of engagement and romance in modern times.

It is a familiar situation for all (or maybe some!) of us. A man is waiting at a restaurant for somebody to come. After waiting impatiently with him, we see an attractive woman arriving. Then we discover that the man’s name is Bruce and he posted an ad in the newspaper in order to meet women.

This awkward date starts with Bruce complimenting Prudence’s breasts, and continues with a series of unfortunate compliments and misunderstandings, and culminates with them throwing water at each other face.

Complicated when therapists are involved

After this disastrous date, they consult their psychotherapists to understand what went wrong. However, at the psychotherapists’ office you realize that the psychotherapists need more help for their own mental problems.

Prudence’s psychotherapist, Stuart, is a latino macho trying to seduce all his patients. Bruce’s psychotherapist, Charlotte, uses a doll as part of her therapy and constantly forgets things.

The play ‘Beyond Therapy’ was written in the eighties by the American playwright Christopher Durang. American references pop up therefore through the play, and some may be unknown to a European public. But director Jens Blegaa circumvents this problem by shortly explaining them in the play’s booklet.

Jealousies, mother issues

In the same booklet, the director states that all the dilemmas and confusions of this play can happen to anyone at any time.

I could not agree more.

The play touches on modern existential problems that I am sure everybody will be able to reflect themselves in. Jealousies, insecurities, misunderstandings, bisexualities, mother issues and social pressures to name just a few.

We are all crazy here

I personally understand Prudence, when she goes to her psychotherapist after the catastrophic date and asks him what is wrong with her since she keeps finding all these weird men.

The play may not offer you an answer to this and other difficulties of romance in modern times. But seeing that we all have the same problems and act in a similar way, at least will give you the experience of a good laugh.

Just as they say in the play: We are all collectively crazy here. It is totally worth seeing!

Read more on the English-language players Copenhagen Theatre Circle website here.

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