★★★★✰
Fabricated and Induced Illness (FII) is the topic of Max Dickins’ Love Them To Death. Previously known as Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy, it is a rare type of child abuse where care-givers exaggerate or cause illness in a child. While rare, the condition is thought to be underreported as it can be hard to diagnose, which Dickins explores through this hour-long two-hander.
Gemma’s (Helena Antoniou) five-year-old son Daniel is constantly off school. Born 14 weeks premature, he had an operation to remove part of his bowel and now suffers with a host of illnesses ranging from gastrointestinal issues to anxiety. When Gemma cannot provide a signed doctor’s note to account for her son’s poor health, alarm bells ring for school administrator Kelly (Claire-Louise Cordwell). Upon observing the child in school, she finds inaccuracies in Gemma’s stories: although she says he suffers extreme food aversions to the point that he must be fed through a feeding tube, he scoffs a whole box of chocolates after a school assembly and suffers no side effects. Despite Gemma’s protests that he is very anxious around others, his teachers describe him as a cheerful, chatty little boy.
Both women are super in their roles. Antoniou portrays Gemma as the perfect mother: despairing for her son’s health, advocating firmly for her child’s rights and shaking with anger when her parenting is questioned. The only thing that casts doubt on her stories is her manipulative and self-absorbed behaviour that slowly leaks through her testimonies. On the other hand, Cordwell presents Kelly as a jaded school administrator with a dry sense of humour. She is fed up with the increased number of children who require additional support, and she believes many of the conditions are made up. The contrast between their characters highlights the difficulties in diagnosing Fabricated and Induced illness: is Kelly, with her old-fashioned views about mental health and disabilities simply a cynic? Considering Daniel has suffered medical problems since the day he was born, isn’t it understandable that Gemma is so worried about his health?
Antoniou and Cordwell are the only actresses in the show: we never physically see Daniel. Yet, thanks to the vivid descriptions in both the monologue and interview scenes, it’s easy to picture the little boy sitting alone at break times, unable to play with the other children as Kelly describes, or chatting with his teachers. The descriptions of Daniel’s ailments are also very detailed, and the research that went into writing the script is impressive. However, the show falsely insinuates that autism is a mental health problem when it is a developmental disorder, which is a disappointing oversight.
Big Belly at Underbelly is the perfect venue for the performance. Despite being upstairs, the dark room has a cave-like feel, which adds to the eerie atmosphere. Holly Ellis’ lighting design serves to heighten the tension that hangs between the women. A bright light illuminates Kelly’s desk where the women discuss Daniel, then shines directly in their faces as they turn to face the audience when delivering their monologues, creating the effect of a police interview and intensifying the drama of the show.
Love Them To Death battles backwards and forwards, making us believe Gemma one minute, and Kelly the next. Just as we think we’ve made up our minds, Dickins adds in a twist, causing us to question everything. It is a bold piece of theatre, which handles tough moral questions that will stay with the audience long after the actresses take their final bows.
Love Them To Death will be shown at Underbelly, Cowgate from 10-14 and 16-28 August as part of Edinburgh Fringe.
Words by Ellen Leslie
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