Why The Play Cosi Challenges The Audience's Sense Of Normality

Topic: Cosi challenges the audience’s sense of normality

Set in a burnt out theatre in the 1970s, Louis Nowra’s play ‘Cosi’ depicts the transformation of the protagonist, Lewis Riley. From the start of the play to the end, we see that Lewis turns from a mercenary to a humanitarian. Other than the changes of Lewis, Nowra doesn’t fail to introduce other key themes like love and fidelity, as well as, normality and madness. The word ‘normal’ is similar as to ‘regular’ or ‘usual’. But it also gives the impression of what the society is doing that is considered normal. Louis Nowra challenges the word ‘normal’ through the play and through the audiences. Audiences are asked to question themselves who are the ‘normal’ ones and who are the mental patients. As the play progresses, Lewis learns that love is in fact, the ‘normal’ thing. While having a cynical best friend and girlfriend, they think that love is not a big deal and shows the inability to understand love and fidelity that shows their belief in free love.

Nowra keeps the question open when he introduces the play. We see this when Roy, Lewis and Justin have their first
encounter. The audiences are told that Lewis is directing the play, but still not considered ‘normal’ as to what Lucy says, “I can’t believe you’re directing a play with mental patients!”. Nick also says “mad actors are bad enough, but mad men?” which further suggest that Lewis is doing a ridicule task and what ‘normal’ people wouldn’t have done. After the first encounter between Roy, Lewis and Justin – Nowra portrays them as three ‘normal’-looking men. Lewis mistakenly asks Roy whether he was the social worker and similarly, Justin mistakenly says to Lewis, “which ward are you from?” That suggests that at that moment, not everyone can differentiate the mental patients and who are the workers. As well as, who are ‘normal’ and who are ‘insane’. Nowra also challenges the idea if ‘normality’ by providing an insight of Justin’s thoughts on the mental patients. Justin says, “they are normal people who does extraordinary things.” This suggests that mental patients are ‘normal’ people except they have done things that are unusual and not accepted in the social norm. Through the encounter between the three, and Justin’s thoughts of mental patients, it shows how Nowra challenges the idea of normality through his play, ‘Cosi’.

Lewis learns that love is important and in which is a ‘normal’ thing in society.
Lewis learns more about love as he starts to bond with the patients more. After having countless conversation about love, Roy questions him, “Have you been living under a rock?” after Lewis tells him “love is not so important nowadays”. Nowra uses Mozart’s opera ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’ to show some parallel evident in the play. In the opera, we are told that woman should not be trusted and hence, the title ‘Women are not like that’ after translating. During directing the mental patients with the opera, and after more conversations about love and fidelity with the mental patients, Lewis says to Lucy, “It’s about important things – like love and fidelity”. This comes to show that Lewis has finally realized love is indeed important and that it is ‘normal’ to
love.

Quite similarly, Nowra introduces the idea of free love between love as well as the war that’s going on at the time. Lewis stays in the same apartment as his best friend and girlfriend which both are ignorant to love and fidelity. Unlike Lewis, they have a complete belief of free love which at the time of context, is questionable whether it is ‘normal’ or not. Lucy tells Lewis that he is doing unimportant stuff like Mozart whilst the moratorium and the war are the big most important issue to worry about. Lucy and Nick also have the difficulty of understanding ‘fidelity’. Lucy says, “I’m going out with you and sleeping with him” and Nick also says, “We’re not possessive of each other, so what’s the big deal?” which shows their unfaithfulness to Lewis as well as their belief in free love. Contrary to Lewis who thinks that love is important and that it is a vital thing for a human to survive. Nowra, again, keeps the question open as to whether love is ‘normal’ or ‘free love’ is ‘normal’.

Nowra successfully challenges the idea of ‘normality’ through his play and keeps questioning the audience about that idea. The idea of who’s ‘normal’ or who are the mental patients and how do we know who is what? The idea that is love a social norm or free love is? Or to what extent is love considered ‘normal’? All these ideas were challenged by Nowra through his play, ‘Cosi’.