I read about the serial sevens too and that they are used as a test to recognize what frame of mind the patient is in at certain times of the day.
I am currently preparing a performance of 4.48 psychosis for my A Level and i am stuck on the serial sevens part of the play. I was wondering if you or anyone else had any ideas?
Thanks
It says in the Graham Saunders book on Sarah Kane (
'Love me or kill me' Sarah Kane and the theatre of extremes) that the numbers are indeed an indication of the coherence of the patient, that is common in psychiatric evaluation. And that obviously during the first try the 'voice' doesn't manage it, but on the second try they do. This is mentioned in an interview with Daniel Evans, one of the actors from the play, in the second half of the book.
As for how to portray the difference between the different number cycles and the different states of mind on stage, I don't have any specific ideas, but would be interested to hear what other people have thought/done, since I've never seen the play performed. In general the way in which the words are set up on the page typographically seem to be significant in 4.48, and I think it must be a challenge to translate that to the stage.
I agree with someone above here who commented on how the medication seemed to be able to make the patient coherent enough to do the numbers exercise clearly, but didn't really help with her general condition. I guess I see the person speaking the first sequence as not completely 'here', whereas during the second sequence maybe staring straight ahead, clearly focused, but also clearly joyless.