One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Brisbane Arts Theatre

Overview

The 1962 novel, by Ken Kesey, is considered one of literature’s greatest, as well as one of its most frequently banned. The 1975 film, directed by Milos Forman, won five Academy Awards, including best picture and best actor for Jack Nicholson. Now One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest treads the boards, with a new stage production bringing the classic to Brisbane Arts Theatre.

Adapted by Dale Wasserman, and featuring a cast of up-and-coming performers, the play once more delves into the hierarchy of a mental institution. Randle P. McMurphy is a charming rogue who has chosen a stint in the asylum over a prison sentence, but his brand of rebellion clashes with the icy efficiency of Nurse Ratched.

The penultimate work in Brisbane Arts Theatre’s 2014 season, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest caps a great year for screen-to-stage offerings after successful productions of The Breakfast Club and The Addams Family.