The Institute

In 1897 four young ladies of London society are sent to a secluded institute, run by psychoanalyst Doctor Rhodes, to cure their female hysteria. Solitary confinement, bodily restraints, sensory deprivation, immaculately tailored uniforms and the liberal use of vaginal massagers are the strange and secretive methods employed by the doctor, who views the behavioural restrictions and the strict Victorian morality of his society as the root cause of his patients’ problems. The four ladies and the doctor are joined on their journey by a French Maitresse, from the famous Paris brothel Le Chabanais, and an English Pastor, and form an unlikely alliance in a tale that touches the gamut of human emotions. All participants find love and fulfilment during this London summer amidst the mysterious, fantastical environment they encounter at the Institute, after an adventurous, sometimes tearful, sometimes humorous but always entertaining journey.