“I’m chuffed to bits to be playing Schreber in Anthony Burgess’s unproduced screenplay.”

02.10.2020

I already posted about this last month after Chris posted a selfie of him holding a book entitled Memoirs of my nervous illness by Daniel Paul Schreber. We now know more about this production.

A world premiere of Anthony Burgess’ never produced screenplay of Memoirs Of My Nervous Illness, the iconic early 20th century account by Daniel Schreber. Originally written for Burt Lancaster to star, Burgess’ 1975 screenplay is boldly refashioned for Radio 3 by award winning writer Jeff Young, and stars Emmy award-winning actor Christopher Eccleston, who grew up in the same area as Anthony Burgess, and is a long-time fan of his work.
In the 19th century Daniel Schreber was a successful, respected High Court judge in Germany. Out of nowhere, seemingly, he suffered a series of nervous breakdowns, requiring hospitalisation. During a short visit home in between his hospitalisation, he gathered together notes he’d made during his first hospitalisation and wrote around them before returning to hospital, where he remained for the rest of his life. He published the text in 1903 as Memoirs Of My Nervous Illness, it was a brave and compassionate thing to do, given the stigma of mental illness. The book has become an iconic text in psychoanalysis - Freud analysed it extensively.

“I’m chuffed to bits to be playing Schreber in Anthony Burgess’s unproduced screenplay. The role was originally meant to be played by a personal acting hero of mine - Burt Lancaster - and deals with male mental health and challenges traditional gender roles and thinking.”

- Christopher Eccleston

The screenplay will air on BBC Radio 3, on March 22.

xxx

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