A Series of Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis: the Musical
24 August 2024
King’s Head Theatre
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
The first thing that stuck out to me for this show was the title, being probably the longest, but also strangely descriptive, title I’ve seen. A Series of Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis: the Musical by student production company Musketeer Productions recently had a short run at the Camden Fringe. This bold new musical is quite something to behold.
Fran discovers Sigmund Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis and wildly applies it to her circle of quirky friends as well as the sparkling Anna she recently met in the library. At first, Sigmund’s advice seems solid and helps her unravel the mystery of human communication, but as Freud leads through his analytical advice with hilariously weird songs, and even hilariously weirder costumes, Fran’s hold on reality slips into dark places as she tries to analyse every word and action through a Freudian lens.
The two main characters, Anna and Fran, burst onto the stage with a distinct neurodivergent-coded flavour, at first finding comfort in each other’s behaviours and enthusiasm. But as Fran tries to make sense of her world with bizarre and long discredited advice, the plot takes a turn for the outlandish. With a distinct score and recurring melodies, the musical is solid and charming, poking fun at itself with passion and humour. Fran’s internal thoughts are often projected onto a screen behind the actors, adding insight and playfulness through slides and diagrams. Hilariously, the entire set is made up of black boxes with labels such as Table, Chair, Piano, A Tree, keeping the focus on the actors while adding another whimsical element to this radiant show.
Bursting at the seams with incredible voice talent, it’s a delight to listen to the modern score solely accompanied by a piano. Lara Bulloch dominates as Sigmund Freud, with brilliantly funny stoicism and fantastic pronunciation of the German parts of the lecture. Creating a charismatically bumbling Freud who urgently presents his findings with absolute authority, whether clad in a suit, evening dress, or fishnet stockings. The wild costume choices add another layer of hilarity to a topic that has no business being this side-splittingly funny.
A gorgeous story of friendship, finding yourself, and navigating human interactions, and not getting lost in someone else’s advice, this musical is an absolute hit and I cannot wait to see its further development to hopefully see it in a full West End production very soon.
