Review: Outpatient, Park Theatre

Harriet Madeley‘s very aware from the get go that a one hander about a serious disease could be exhausting material, and so addresses it in the very first line of dialogue. But what this smart, inventive play also does is consistently wrong-foot the audience, as it stays unpredictable while also commenting on what the audience may be thinking on a frequent basis.

Unafraid of making her lead character initially unlikeable, Olive (Madeley) is an arrogant journalist who until now has written about celebrities and vapid reality TV shows, but feels she should be able to  make her mark on the world by writing something of importance. And it initially seems she’s on the verge of doing so. She pitches her editor an article about death, and how those who are dying respond to the news, only to then be distracted by the discovery that she may well not have long to live herself.

While Madeley is the only performer on stage there’s a great deal of recorded speech, music, sound effects and visual elements which keep this potentially morbid material feeling lively throughout. The one slightly unusual thing about the play is that it repeatedly suggests that society sees death as a taboo subject, and even goes as far as to reference how this is the exact opposite of the Victorians who were prudish about sex but not the end of a life. Yet given the number and popularity of true crime podcasts and stand up shows about dying parents (to give just two examples) it seems a slightly outdated idea.

Not that it’s a major flaw with the play, and perhaps it’s meant to highlight Olive’s own experiences rather than one which applies universally – even if I’m unconvinced that it was meant that way. That said, it is clear that she is surrounded by people who, at best, mean well, but rarely have anything close to a caring, considerate response, all with unrealistic miracle fixes or misplaced optimism which Olive has no interest in hearing at all.

At one point Olive references Swiss-American psychiatrist’s Elizabeth Kübler-Ross’ idea that grief could be divided into five stages; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, and for Olive it initially seems that denial is the only response she’s interested in exploring. But while the play covers her sudden lust for hedonism and the need to try as many new experiences before the day is done, it’s clear there’s a lot else going on as she responds to what life has thrown at her in a variety of unusual ways.

Writer Madeley plays the thinly veiled lead character and is superb throughout, making a character who at times seems superficial and glib deeply sympathetic. The text challenges the way terminal illnesses can be examined with a light, gentle touch, and it’s never far from a burst of action to prevent proceedings from becoming too maudlin. Throughout it’s a pleasingly thoughtful production, and one which highlights the fact that serious subjects don’t always need to be approached in a dour manner.

Written by Harriet Madeley
Directed by Madelaine Moore
Sound Design by Bella Kear
Lighting and Projection Design by Megan Lucas
Produced by Crowded Room

Outpatient plays at Park Theatre until Saturday 7 June.