Review: Heartsink (Riverside Studios)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The premiere of a new medical play arrives in London, with Heartsink being admitted to Riverside Studios for a short stay. Written by a doctor who ended up becoming a patient, this play hopes to highlight the juxtaposition of these two seemingly similar but drastically different worlds. Would it prove to be just what the doctor ordered and ensure there was plenty of life left in it yet?

If you are unfamiliar with the term “Heartsink” as I was prior to entering the theatre, it refers to a patient whose appearance caused a doctor’s heart to sink, perhaps due to a feeling of helplessness, or for those repeat visitors who always have nothing wrong with them, and just end up wasting the doctor’s time. Heartsink attempts to reclaim and redefine that word, proving that not everything is always so black and white, and it is those grey areas in between that are often the most vital of lifelines.

The premise of Heartsink centres around GP Jeffrey Longford. His “Heartsink” patient, Cara, visits him every Thursday, always wanting to check if there is anything wrong with her, with Jeffrey dismissing her as a hypochondriac. Everything changes when Jeffrey is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Changing everything he thought he knew isn’t the easiest transition for him to become the patient, especially when it means losing the respect he prides himself on as a doctor. Faced with little time left, Jeffrey has to reconsider his ethics and beliefs, as his colleague, Dr Roofi, and new acquaintance, Suzie, force him to make some difficult realisations and demonstrate that even the most seasoned of doctors is still capable of learning new things.

Farine Clarke’s writing feels incredibly authentic, thanks to her own personal journey, allowing her to instil aspects of what she discovered into the play. The result is an intriguing and even unpredictable watch, filled with comedic moments, but ensuring there is an abundance of heart present at every turn. Some heavy themes are touched upon, including euthanasia, the way patients can often be treated, or mistreated, and religion. If I were to make one criticism, perhaps some of these topics are touched upon a bit too quickly and never quite given the time and room to breathe, often disregarded as the subject moves on to something else. That is largely down to how fast-paced this singular act show is, but a couple of the more thought-provoking conversations could have benefited from more time given to them.

Where Clarke’s writing truly shines is in the rich characters she creates. Four deeply contrasting people have multiple layers to them, each given the opportunity to shine and defy expectations. At the heart of this is Dr Jeffrey Longford, a man who we are often told is full of kindness but, faced with his own mortality, proves fairly patronising to Suzie upon meeting her. Aden Gillett gives a solid turn in the role, bringing the gravitas of the character to life in a performance that has tender moments of emotion and empathy. Longford’s best friend and colleague, Dr Roofi, seems to be the sounding board of the play, keeping Jeffrey on the straight and narrow and reminding him what they believe in, as well as playfully teasing him, with Vikash Bhai showcasing strong chemistry with Gillett.

The two female characters prove the most interesting in Heartsink, with Suzie the epitome of never judging a book by its cover. Megan Marszal is thrilling in the role, revealing more to the character as the play progresses. Initially a comedic character, her final scene with Jeffrey gives Marszal the opportunity to showcase her range, bringing a warmth and unexpected nature to the character who was so easily dismissed. Similar on that front is Kathy Kiera Clarke as Cara. Her character begins seemingly as the funny hypochondriac and is sidelined for a bit while the other three characters get more time. It all pays off in the end, with a devastating realisation, beautifully portrayed by Clarke in one of the standout moments of the play. As Heartsink roars to its climax, there is a real poignancy to the presence of Cara and the surprising friendship she formed with her kind, albeit frustrated GP.

Though the stage is relatively small, Sean Turner directs Heartsink with style and skill, with nothing more than a desk and a couple of chairs (designed by Matteo Mastrandrea), transitioning the space from each of the two GP’s consultancy rooms to the hospital waiting room. It isi n Turner’s direction of the characters that allows Heartsink to be rich, filling in the gaps from some of the gaps in the writing and ensuring that the heart of the story is felt, and the audience is able to connect.

Touching on grief and mortality, Heartsink may not sound like the cheeriest of watches. However, it miraculously takes these heavy themes and injects them with a dose of humanity, allowing audiences to laugh, smile and feel for these characters we have only just met but may be able to relate to from people in our own lives. Going deeper than I expected it to, Heartsink takes some surprising turns, with all of the four random characters coming together in the end for a truly beautiful payoff that left me with my heart feeling full. This play might be being discharged from Riverside Studios in a couple of weeks, but you can expect plenty more life from it in the future.

Heartsink plays at Riverside Studios until 10th May. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/play/heartsink-tickets 

Photos by Lidia Crisafulli.