This one-man show follows psychiatric patient Delaney as the audience sees his manic psychosis at work, from unnerving animal imitations one minute to rapid cycling thoughts of controlling sound waves the next. The minimalist staging, with lighting alternating colours and shutting off altogether, effectively reflects Delaney’s constantly shifting mental states and memories.

This last aspect is crucial to the play, as increasingly interspersed within Delaney’s disordered thoughts are increasingly lengthy flashes back to his childhood and adolescence, providing much needed background to the character’s fractured mental state. They also effectively serve as a poignant snapshot of Delaney’s life before his external and internal decline.

However, writer/performer Ruben Sparks keeps the audience on their toes by showing how these memories can verge on the surreal and unbelievable, skilfully merging fantasy with reality to accurately reflect how these recollections would be filtered through Delaney’s disturbed mind.

As Delaney, Sparks is incredible, barrelling from rapid fire verbal tangents to almost mute animalistic crawling around the small performance space on all-fours. His later depiction of Delaney undergoing what looks like electroshock therapy is particularly visceral as he contorts his body in seizure-like motions.

However, Sparks’ strongest moments come in representing Delaney’s past and his family members, as he embodies the main character as an inquisitive child and despairing adolescent. The roles of his overprotective mother and idolised elder brother are also well-essayed, with Sparks making them seem as distinct from Delaney as possible, resulting in him effectively performing as a one-man ensemble.

Sparks’ talent in writing and performing results in ‘Chameleon’ coming across as a great example of the power of minimalist drama, providing an incredibly visceral journey into one man’s shattered mind. Sparks’ vivid portrayal in particular captivates as much as it intrigues, taking the audience along with him every step of the way without ever losing them.

‘Chameleon‘ has finished its Fringe run