The Yellow Wallpaper
Melbourne Fringe Festival

Will the prescription of bed rest heal a woman’s mysterious illness or drive her into madness?

The Yellow Wallpaper is originally a short story written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1891, that is being devised in a premiere show from Knotted Theatre Company.

The play follows Physician John and his wife as newlyweds ready to spend their summer in a house in the countryside, so his wife can recover from her mysterious illness. Being a doctor, John prescribes three months of bed rest in a room with a hideous yellow wallpaper. Over the summer the woman has nothing to do but sit in this room studying this sickening yellow wallpaper, while John is able to enjoy his summer with his sister visiting as well to keep him company and help look after his wife. But one can only spend so much time in a room before they start to notice things. What happens when the woman notices the wallpaper moving? Is John’s prescription helping his wife or driving her closer to madness?

This show will leave you doubting what’s real and have you questioning the way we discuss women’s health.

This is a premiere show from Knotted Theatre company founded by Zahra Winther and Holly Pirret. These passionate young theatremakers and recent graduates are keen to continue to bring young feminine voices to the stage.