Composed in the same machine-gun rhythm, the book begins with Frey finishing a stint in jail - for crimes committed before rehab - and then racing to Chicago to find that his lover has committed suicide Suddenly, he's alone and dealing with the wildest grief. In his debut memoir, A Million Little Pieces, James Frey described arriving at a Midwestern rehab clinic, nursing a hole in his face that required 47 stitches His vascular system was leaking at the seams If he used drugs again, he would die. There are escalatingly vicious interrogations (part musical-hall, part Kafka) that go round and round in troubling circles.Ether Frolics' passages of pitch darkness, unsettling reconfigurations of the space, woozy soundscape and the white shapes that float through the murk seem to take you right into the nervous system of someone in this dissociated, control-losing phase To 30 July (020-7223 2223). The piece unfolds like a potty dream in which surgery anxieties surface in surreal forms. There's a bizarre routine in which a woman tries but fails to keep two thirsty human heads boxed up and then feeds them a glass of milk through tubes.
When I was a small child, I was traumatised by seeing a movie in which a young sailor had to have his leg sawn off, with no better painkiller than a large tot of rum. So, though I have not yet needed to go under the knife, a general anaesthetic has always struck me as one of the life's more consoling options. Now, having seen Ether Frolics - a black-jokey devised piece by Sound & Fury in collaboration with artists from Shunt - I'm not so sure. In the echoing expanses of the Shunt Vaults by London Bridge, the audience is ushered into an intimate space cordoned off by white curtains like those that surround the dying in hospital. Here, a weirdo doctor in white wellies (David Rosenberg) gives an introductory pep talk: "In a few minutes, I'll hold your hand and lead you into the blackness, the horror, the death." When we come round, we "might have something missing, or a brand new leg and some tits".
On seeing him again, we may be overwhelmed by the desire to kiss him, but this will wear off and "if it doesn't, we can meet for a coffee".Directed by Mark and Tom Espiner and Dan Jones, the show that follows is a resourceful, funny attempt to induce a sense of how it feels to slip into unconsciousness at the mercy of knife-wielding strangers and of the bizarre changes in brain function to which you are a passive witness.The three performers (Rosenberg, Hannah Ringham, Tom Espiner) are like a darkly droll cross between a variety act and doctors from hell. You must do another year's training, half in the classroom, half supervised practice. You have to secure a course place and sponsorship from a community health trust.Any additional skills?You need good communication skills, must be comfortable visiting people in their homes, be organised and able to prioritise a heavy workload. NHS London allowances apply.What are the hours?Most visitors work Mondays to Fridays, 9am to 5pm.Qualifications?You'll need to be a registered nurse with at least two years' practice. "It might be a no-go area for the postman, but the health visitor still goes in."The lowdownHow much will I earn?Pay starts at about £24,000 outside London, while more experienced health visitors can expect to earn between £27,000 and £32,000.
