Heartsink!
Riverside Studios
until 10th May
Heartsink, written by Farine Clarke and directed by Sean Turner, is a comic medical drama currently playing at Riverside Studios. Blending comedy with reflective storytelling, the play is set within a clinical healthcare environment and explores what happens when professional certainty gives way to personal vulnerability.
The play centres on Dr Jeffrey Longford (Aden Gillett), an experienced doctor who suddenly finds himself navigating the unfamiliar world of being a patient. As he moves through this experience, we see how some key interactions with other characters guide him through this part of his journey: Cara (Kathy Kiera Clarke), a seemingly light hearted hypochondriac who reveals unexpected depth; Dr Roofi (Vikash Bhai), a colleague and friend facing his own ethical dilemmas; and Suzie (Megan Marszal), a receptionist whose brusque exterior hides a philosophical intelligence. Without revealing too much, the play carefully unpicks assumptions about each character, showing that no one is quite as they first appear.
The staging is simple yet effective. A clinical palette of blue green dominates the floor, desk and waiting room chairs, creating a space that feels sterile but subtly playful. The lighting and sound are simple offering a clinical feel while also providing cover for the set changes completed by the cast.
The performances are a clear strength of the production. Aden Gillett anchors the piece, remaining on stage throughout and shifting between doctor, patient, colleague and friend with ease, revealing different sides of the character. Kathy Kiera Clarke’s Cara is compelling, creating a kooky and playful persona that drives much of the pacing and comedy, while also delivering a deeply emotional monologue towards the end that reveals impressive range and vulnerability. Vikash Bhai’s Dr Roofi is measured and believable, embodying the calm confidence of a capable medical professional as well as a supportive friend. Megan Marszal’s Suzie initially appears almost caricatured but gradually develops into a more human and relatable figure, bringing energy and well-timed humour to the piece.
Although Heartsink is billed as a comedy, its humour is understated, leaning into gentle, recognisable moments drawn from real experiences of illness, grief and end of life. Alongside this sits a strand of wry observational comedy rooted in the realities of the healthcare system, from “computer says no” bureaucracy to the coloured lines patients follow around hospitals that seem to lead nowhere. Beneath this, a clear existential thread runs throughout, quietly posing questions about mortality and choice and asking what we might do when faced with the reality of our own end of life.
The play’s quiet tone and slower pacing allow these ideas and characters to unfold gradually. It is not immediately gripping and does not build towards a strong climax, but it remains engaging throughout.
Heartsink is currently playing at Riverside Studios until 10th May. A gentle and reflective piece, it will suit audiences who appreciate subtle, character driven storytelling.
Reviewer: Tara Whenray
Photo: Lidia Crisafulli
⭐⭐⭐