The Elephant Song, Park Theatre

****

It has become a regular ritual on the evening news: the ashen-faced chair of a trust announcing that mistakes were made and lessons will be learned.

Against the background of so many failures of our mental health system, Nicholas Billon's drama comes as a salient reminder of the stresses and challenges that clinicians deal with.

Psychiatrist Dr Laurence has suddenly disappeared from a mental health unit and his patient Michael is the last person to see him. Head of the hospital, Dr Greenberg arrives to investigate, and establish what Michael knows, and whether he was involved in the disappearance.

Nurse Peterson (ably and sympathetically played by Louise Faulkner) warns him that Michael likes to play games and is a difficult patient – she is not exaggerating.

Over seventy five tautly-paced - and towards the end, quite harrowing - minutes, there is much clever and dark power play and mind puzzles churned out by the high functioning, but deeply disturbed Michael.

We learn of his troubled upbringing - his mother was a distant, uncaring opera singer - and the bizarre origins of his trauma, as well as the petty power dynamics of clinician, nurse and patient. There are hints of improper relationships with his carers.

Jon Osbaldeston is convincing as Dr Greenberg: a man with a deep well of patience, but not a bottomless one. He recognises the highly intelligent patient before him, but there are limits to how far he will sympathise and humour him.

As Michael, Gwithian Evans is hugely impressive as a bright and perceptive young man who is incapable of giving a straight answer, instead resorting to flights of fancy and continual evasion. Michael seems in control of his torment, but there is the tension that he could explode at any minute.

This UK premier is a gripping piece of theatre with three fine performances but does, frustratingly, leave some loose ends and unanswered questions.

Elephant Song runs at Park Theatre until February 11. https://parktheatre.co.uk/