A revival of Joe Penhall’s cutting “state of the nation” classic Blue/Orange calls perception into question at the Young Vic, directed by Matthew Xia.

16 years after its National Theatre premiere, the story of confined psychiatric ward patient Christopher returns to the fore. Set to be discharged, he remains convinced oranges are blue and his father is a Ugandan dictator. 

His doctor Robert, played by David Haig, wants to section him, but the senior consultant, seeking to offload the patient, attributes these beliefs to a natural conformance to culture; at home in Shepherd’s Bush, Christopher will fit in amongst “people who think just like him.”

Delving into the intersection of mental health provision and race, ethics and sanity, this Olivier-Award winning drama punches more potently now than ever before.