REVIEW: The City for Incurable Women, fish in a dress, EdFringe 2025 ★★★★

Feminist collective fish in a dress takes the audience on a whistle-stop tour through the history of hysteria in this devised, nightmarish, one-woman show.

The bulk of the production takes place in the Parisien Salpêtrière hospital, where Jean-Martin Charcot developed and disseminated his theory of hysteria. It explores the experiences of the women who lived in this institution, paying particular attention to their exploitation at the hands of their doctors, who photographed their “hysterical” symptoms, and paraded them in front of lecture halls of men, humiliating them in a hypnotised state. Echoes of this medical misogyny can still be heard today, of course in the medical field, but also in lasting socio-cultural perceptions of mad women. This production is prescient and intelligent, charting the course of the creation of this stereotype across the ages, and landing upon the most significant moment in the creation of the modern conception of the hysterical woman.

Performer Charlotte McBurney deftly moves between portrayals of dismissive and patronising Charcot and his mistreated patients, as well as spectators and omniscient narrators. Her fluid and precise movement highlights the physicality of “hysteria”, and the patients’ unenviable status as the embodiment of sexualised vulnerability. Bringing Helena McBurney’s detailed and unconventional script to life, skilfully and thoughtfully directed by Christina Deinsberger, each element of the performance works in tandem. A scathing indictment of medical misogyny, her performance is in turns informative, haunting, and infuriating. Her commitment throughout is admirable, particularly where the lemon is involved, and her willingness to take pause adds depth and rich emotionality to the performance.

The inventive use of props and costume creates a clinical and oppressive environment for McBurney to exist within, utilising copper piping, a wipe-clean mat covering the stage, and a single piece of chalk. Bella Kear’s sound design is inspired, elevating this production far above others of its kind. The sound is so significant that it almost becomes another performer, providing McBurney with ample context and characters to interact with. The soundscape further adds to the oppressive atmosphere, a constant dripping that echos around the space.

The constantly shifting perspectives serve their purpose, allowing McBurney to cover an extraordinary amount of ground and disorient the audience, mirroring the mental state of the women in the institution. However, towards the final moments of the production it became so muddled that it lost its effect, becoming confusing rather than constructive. Despite this, the production was accomplished, prompting a lengthy session down the internet rabbit-hole of the history of hysteria and medical misogyny.

Absorbing, intelligent, and thoroughly thought-provoking, fish in a dress’s production is part lecture, part performance art, all class.

Recommended Drink: A full bottle of water, drunk as quickly as possible.

You can catch The City for Incurable Women at Upstairs at Pleasance Courtyard from 30th July to 25th August (not the 12th) at 13:35 (60mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.