In the Paris of the 1880s, Dr Jean Martin Charcot is studying hysteria at the Salpêtrière Hospital. Despite being a condition that affects all genders, Charcot and his contempories focus on the female patients, attempting to prove their theories about the “four stages of madness”, exhibiting the women and having them “perform” for the public.
Part lecture, part play, The City for Incurable Women uses the historical to examine the far-reaching social impact of an obsession with female madness, up to and including the present day. Written by Helena McBurney, directed by Christina Deinsberger, performed by Charlotte McBurney, and devised by all three, the narrative is deconstructed and viewed through a queer feminist lens.
Originating from the Greek word for Uterus, the diagnosis of Hysteria was only removed from the DSM and ICD in 1980, almost a decade after Roe v. Wade. With “wandering womb” blamed for women’s ills, the reality was the incarceration in Victorian asylums of those who were poor, or did not fit societal norms.
The piece draws interesting paralells, particularly when highlighting that the condition – which would be largely recognised as PTSD in the modern age – was viewed as “hysteria” in women, while male soldiers returning from war with idential symptoms were instead diagnosed with “shell-shock”. There are also salient links to gaslighting, both medical and interpersonal, which have a very familiar ring.
The play is well-intentioned but disjointed, jumping around in time and place, which can make it hard to follow. It feels as if too many ideas have been included but not fully realised, resulting in a convoluted whole. That said, McBurney is a skilled performer, using their strong physicality throughout and making good use of the limited playing space.
The subject matter is compelling, and the piece is clearly well researched, but the non-linear structure can be confusing, with certain sections overlong. The heart of the production, however, is the way that women and female-presenting people can be silenced or ignored by designating them as “mad” or “hysterical” – a message that feels all too relevant in the world we currently live in.
By Deborah Klayman
The City for Incurable Women plays at Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh until 25th August 2025.
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