This May Hurt A Bit

Out of Joint returns to the St James Theatre following their raved-about production of Our Country's Good. 

A month after stating 'We will stop the top down re-organisation of the NHS  that has got in the way of patient care', the government launched the biggest top-down reorganisation  the service had seen in its 65 year history.

With characteristic wit, tenderness and dives into surrealism, Stella Feehily's new play explores one family's journey through the digestive system of the NHS, and asks: what is the prognosis for this much loved, fiercely debated institution? Feehily's previous plays for Out Of Joint include Bang Bang Bang, Dreams Of Violence, O go my Man and Duck. 

The play tells the story of Nicholas, a middle aged man who is forced to face the onset of old age as he begins hospital treatment, and his family. Nicholas' sister Mariel makes a rare visit to London. Her marriage to an orthopaedic surgeon in New York has deeply influenced her views about the health services in both countries; she and her husband Hank lean heavily to the right.

On the other hand, their mother Iris is an elderly and fiercely independent woman with strong socialist political views.When Iris suffers what looks like a stroke and is rushed to hospital, the family members' differing views about healthcare provision are put to the test.