Hugh Dancy Brings, Erm, ‘Paroxysms’ to Hysterical Women in New Film

Hugh Dancy in 'Hysteria' (Photo: Sony Pictures Classics)

The affable Hugh Dancy stars as a man who brings relief to women in Hysteria, a new film set in Victorian England out Friday (May 18).

As Dancy sees it his film has elements of comedy, romantic comedy, farce and drama. But much of the story revolves around the treatment of women suffering from hysteria.

When asked about his character, Dancy explains: “He’s an idealistic doctor, but he’s reached the end of his tether, so he decides to just get a paying job, and that happens to be treating women diagnosed with hysteria, which at the time they were bringing them to paroxysm with their fingers, they were doing it manually.”

Dancy’s character was the man who invented the vibrator.

The actor doesn’t think the subject matter will keep audiences away.

He says: “In my experience risqué subject matter only brings people to films. I think it depends on the quality of the film – and I think we made a good film.”

The picture also stars Maggie Gyllenhaal, who does a very good British accent as well as Rupert Everett and Jonathan Pryce.

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