Review: This May Hurt A Bit at the St James Theatre

This May Hurt A Bit
St James Theatre
Reviewed on Tuesday 20th May 2014

Not only does theatre provide entertainment and escapism, but a good piece will always leave the audience with something to think about. Exploring one family’s experience with the NHS, This May Hurt A Bit couldn't have come at a more appropriate time. However, despite raising some incredibly important points, I found the play far too 'in your face'.

The vision and reasoning behind This May Hurt A Bit is clear. The play is directed by Out of Joint's Artistic Director, Max Stafford-Clark, who had a major stroke in 2006 which was followed by years of treatment. This is why his wife, playwright Stella Feehily, decided to write the piece which has been touring since March.

A clever piece of theatre will slyly plant thought-provoking seeds into the brains of its audience, but during the first act of This May Hurt A Bit the audience are bombarded with a ridiculous amount of information - although perhaps it's Feehily's intention to make her audience feel overwhelmed. I certainly overheard some interesting debates during the interval. 

I found the second act far stronger as the piece eventually reveals its heart. I think showing what families are going through is a million times more effective than throwing facts and figures in every direction as is done during the first act. The family debate during the first half also feels very forced, and the visit from Winston Churchill is peculiar. 

I'm a huge fan of Out of Joint's work and have great respect for Stafford-Clark for daring to think outside the box. It's refreshing to see a show taking risks and doing things many directors would never dream of doing. Although not all these risks pay off, ultimately This May Hurt A Bit has stylish moments and some great one-liners; you will not be able to forget it in a hurry!

The short songs which the cast sometimes perform between scenes are utterly bizarre. I am yet to decide what I thought about the company routine which opens the second half - my jaw nearly reached the ground. However, we should embrace This May Hurt A Bit's unique approach to thought provoking theatre.

There are some strong performances from the versatile cast, many of whom excel in multiple roles. The performance of the night comes from Stephanie Cole (pictured left) as Iris, an opinionated elderly lady who remembers the birth of the NHS, and what it meant to people 'back in the day'.

The St James Theatre is stunning and so far this year has hosted such a wide variety of exciting work. Bold, funny and a little wacky, there's more to This May Hurt A Bit than first meets the eye. 

Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)

This May Hurt A Bit runs at the St James Theatre until Saturday 21st June 2014.
Please visit www.stjamestheatre.co.uk for further information and tickets.

Photo Credit: John Haynes