The Whisky Taster, Bush Theatre | reviews, news & interviews
The Whisky Taster, Bush Theatre
The Whisky Taster, Bush Theatre
Samuel Barnett excels as an advertising whizkid with synaesthesia
![](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/mast_image_landscape/public/mastimages/c5c0a28a3994ca1491828123987c79bf.jpg?itok=GQBEo6dM)
Synaesthesia is a tricky beast. It’s basically a neurological condition which condemns those afflicted with it to a life in which words evoke colours, and emotions can be experienced as colour. Sometimes it is almost playful, with the mere names of the days of the week evoking tonal sensations; at other times it is intensely painful, with the mere glimpse of a buzzy pattern causing dizziness or strong feelings conjuring up great blasts of colour, an unbearable onslaught of confusion and derangement.
Synaesthesia is a tricky beast. It’s basically a neurological condition which condemns those afflicted with it to a life in which words evoke colours, and emotions can be experienced as colour. Sometimes it is almost playful, with the mere names of the days of the week evoking tonal sensations; at other times it is intensely painful, with the mere glimpse of a buzzy pattern causing dizziness or strong feelings conjuring up great blasts of colour, an unbearable onslaught of confusion and derangement.
The future of Arts Journalism
You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!
We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d
And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.
Subscribe to theartsdesk.com
Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.
To take a subscription now simply click here.
And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?
more Theatre
![Three on a couch: Stephen Mangan, Nicola Walker and Erin Doherty in ‘Unicorn’.](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/unicorn2.jpg?itok=zSyQRgKO)
![Ensemble: Lewis Mackinnon, Alison Halstead, Tim McMullan, Helen Schlesinger and Marc Elliott in ‘More Life’.](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/more-life1.jpg?itok=oIJGQupX)
![Ruby Thompson, Michelle Terry and Shannon Tarbet - not so weird sisters](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Ruby%20Thompson%20as%20Irina%2C%20Michelle%20Terry%20as%20Olga%2C%20and%20Shannon%20Tarbet%20as%20Masha%20in%20Three%20Sisters%20at%20Shakespeare%27s%20Globe%20%28c.%20Johan%20Persson%29.jpg?itok=xVUwb4SO)
![Cheers: Peter Forbes and Roger Allam in ‘Churchill in Moscow’.](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Churchill-Moscow1.jpg?itok=HsZAYMxK)
![Tight-knit ensemble: Anjli Mohindra, Deborah Findlay, Gina McKee, Romola Garai, Harmony Rose-Bremner in 'The Years'](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Years%201.jpg?itok=Tc5XqxSD)
![Shout it out: Brie Larson as Elektra](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/elektra1.jpg?itok=9Wfmo98V)
![To life: Tim McMullan and Alison Halstead in rehearsal](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/morelife1.jpg?itok=Kudmr4l5)
![Mismatch: Rami Malek as Oedipus and Indira Varma as Jocasta](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Rami%20Malek%20%28Oedipus%29%20and%20Indira%20Varma%20%28Jocasta%29%20in%20Oedipus%20at%20The%20Old%20Vic%20%282025%29.%20Photo%20by%20Manuel%20Harlan_0.jpg?itok=51b1i5d7)
![Miriam Grace Edwards in 'Mrs President' - What? He's won again?](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Miriam%20Grace%20Edwards%20in%20Mrs%20President%20%28credit%20Pamela%20Raith%29.jpg?itok=GeE5e6CJ)
![Desperate times: Ivan Oyik and Evlyne Oyedokun in ‘… Blackbird Hour’](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/blackbird-hour.jpg?itok=glJ-MoH_)
Add comment