The dream team: Jung, Pauli and ‘Synchronicity’
Jung and Pauli (image created in Shutterstock)
One of the best pieces of advice I have ever been given is: “Ask not how clever people are, ask how they are clever.” Because there are many kinds of clever. In Synchronicity , the London-based American author Arthur I. Miller invites us to witness a marriage of two apparently opposing minds – those of Carl Gustav Jung and Wolfgang Pauli. One was the familiar pioneer of analytical psychology, who was forever searching for life’s unanswered questions; the other a theoretical physicist destined for the highest honours in science. But Pauli, unusually for a natural scientist, was more than willing to plumb the depths of his own psyche.
The action begins in 1931, when the charismatic and gifted Pauli approaches Jung for treatment of his raging neurosis. As Jung states, when he first saw him he felt as if the “wind had blown over from the lunatic asylum”. What unfolds in Synchronicity , however, is an enlightening journey that illustrates how two minds on very different quests can converge and break the manacles that tie us to a rigid, and ultimately inadequate, belief that cause and effect is the answer to everything. We learn how dream images give insight into the “collective unconscious”, famously postulated by Jung. We also learn how some of the more arcane ideas of the 17 th century astronomer Johannes Kepler — best known for his discovery of the elliptical orbits of the planets around the sun — pre-dated Jung’s theories.
The White Bear Theatre near Kennington Park is a small, intimate space, with the audience on two sides and players on the same level as the front row. Set and costume designer, Male Arcucci, makes brilliant use of the confined, dark setting. On one wall is a mass of white multicultural symbols, including a large mandala that will play its part in the narrative. On the other wall, an expanse of baffling mathematical equations, and a blackboard with a single numeral “4” on it – the significance of which also unfolds. Holding the two compelling actors in place and providing focus is a broad white, asymmetrical border on the floor. Arucci’s costumes are also beautifully judged. Jung’s grandfatherly three piece suit and brogues are perfect for the reassuring analyst. Pauli’s suit, initially at least, is unkempt, even chaotic.
Stephen Riddle’s Jung captures the calm, comforting introvert that is Carl Jung, albeit with some excursions into passionate extroversion – perhaps a hint at the propensity that all people have to turn into their opposite, as postulated by both Heraclitus and Jung. Riddle’s beautiful subdued tones relax the audience as much as his patient.
Jeremy Drakes’s Wolfgang Pauli undertakes a journey that starts in quivering neurosis, with a very disturbing rocking motion in his chair that signals a true crisis point in his life. Pauli is dealing with a challenging cocktail of issues: emotional turmoil, erratic behaviour, alcohol dependency, and relationship problems. At the hands of Jung we see the affliction subside: order takes over from disorder. Drakes gives a fine performance in a challenging role. Anthony Shrubsall’s direction along with Miller’s narrative ensures constant pace and engagement. There isn’t a dull moment.
Don’t let the titles of Miller’s previous published works put you off, e.g. Imagery in Scientific Thought: Creating 20th-Century Physics or Early Quantum Electrodynamics: A Source Book . A prior knowledge or interest in physics and psychology helps, but it is definitely not essential. Miller has spent his life making complex thoughts accessible and captivating. In this, his debut play, he now shows theatre audiences how the most elaborate theories can resonate with us mere mortals. The use of word pictures and analogies helps us along the way. I would, however, recommend that you do not let your attention wander. You need to keep up!
The underlying theme of the play is, of course, synchronicity, described by Jung as “significant coincidence”. Whether or not one believes in synchronicity as a universal truth makes the play no less appealing, as these two brilliant minds unite on a theory that applies as much to the human psyche as to the physical world. The play could have been called “The Art of the Probable”. We also learn about the frailties of both men. It’s sensitively handled and an important context: they are above all human. Synchronicity passes a definitive test of any performance art: you feel more enlightened and stretched coming out than going in.
Synchronicity is playing at the White Bear Theatre, London SE 11, until 30 November.
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