In a loving, sentimental ballad that seems both addressed to sufferers of mental illness and those that (in some cases) endure them it conveys the breadth of the issue; from institutionalisation, warped world perception to the overriding fact that they must learn to live in an uncertain world.
Everything about title character Elling, played Darren Gilshenan, is orderly. Having led a remote life with his mother until her death, he becomes instituionalised and faced with the prospect of living with the uncouth constant masturbator Kjell Bjarne (Hayden Spencer). He keeps a diary of his experiences and attempts to tidy up his roommate. Soon they are ejected into the ‘real world’, expelled from the safety of the asylum and on their own in an Oslo flat. Here they must contend with the control of social worker Frank Asli (Bert LaBonte) and for Kjell Bjarne a world of sexual temptations.
It’s not without its challenges. Elling seeks every opportunity to retain control over his environment. He refuses to exit the apartment after a series of panic attacks. In another scene their social worker guides the reluctant twosome through answering a phone.
But gradually they blossom. The characters are given a chance to succeed. Elling’s efforts at poetry capture the attention of the media. Kjell Bjarne finds companionship in their pregnant neighbor (Emily Goddard). He finally, thankfully, has sex. Here is where a bit of dramatic license is allowed – you wonder if there were real people if they would ever afford such acceptance.
The centerpiece is the story is their enduring friendship. Unlikely, certainly, but heartwarming. It’s obvious why Darren Gilshenan reprised this role and is a complex, entertaining piece of theatre.
BY BELLA ARNOTT-HOARE
