The Wonderful World of Dissocia is a play written and directed by Anthony Neilson about a young woman suffering from dissociative disorder. The idea was originally workshopped with a group of students at LAMDA in 2002 but was later re-written and produced for the Glasgow's Tron Theatre at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2004.[1] The play won Neilson the 2004-5 CATS award for Best New Play and the production secured Best Director award for Neilsen, Best Actress award for Christine Entwisle (Lisa) and Best Design for Miriam Buether.[2] In December 2009 The List magazine included the work in its "Best of a Decade" compilation.[3] It toured England in 2007, making its London debut at the Royal Court Theatre in March 2007.[4]
The United States première was at the Profiles Theater, North Broadway Street, Chicago, on 26 March 2009. The Sydney Theatre Company mounted a production at The Wharf Theatre, Sydney, Australia, on 18 April 2009.[5] [6] The Latin American première was at Mediterránea Café Teatro, Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 20 March 2015.[7]
A new London production starring Leah Harvey premiered at Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2022.[8]
The play is in two contrasting acts, with the first a vivid recreation of Lisa's dream-like imaginary life, "full of colour and fun", and the second a bleak, black-and-white presentation of the hospital ward in which she is receiving treatment; because of the contrast we see the prospect of Lisa's return to wellness as rather unattractive. In this way the play attempts to give the audience a notion of how the condition affects the sufferer and offers an alternative view of conventional treatments.[9] [10]