The Kindness of Strangers (Theatre Royal, Plymouth)

Winningly worthy.

curious directive’s The Kindness of Strangers is stated to be ‘a play about the changing nature of the NHS’ and, with an audience of just five at a time, this is clearly not a commercial venture.

Nicely executed, attention is engaged by the charismatic Emily Lloyd-Saini as eager newbie Lisa on her first night on the streets as a paramedic. She remains believable throughout despite the close-quarters scrutiny of those claustrophobically sharing the back of an ambulance with her throughout a compressed night on the front line.

Dialogue is imparted through headphones and visuals vary from the immediacy of Lisa, projected road local scenes unrolling on the back doors and occasional glimpses (sometimes unfortunately not quite head-on) of the outdoor world when arriving at a call-out.

Some thirty-five years of the noble NHS and its erosion by successive governments is examined through the medium of Lisa chatting directly with us and through conversation with her acerbic and jaded mentor Sylvia (the voice – and vague glimpse – of Sarah Woodward) who is on her last shift before taking a desk job. Meanwhile co-writer Russell Woodward plays eager psychologist Ben who cycles his way through the story and a myriad cast of voices add their layer of reality.

Alongside the politicising is an endearing tale of individual journeys and motivation, the psychology of decision-making and mundane life in general. And interspersed is deft dealing with accident, disease, crisis, the results of experimenting with an aerosol, dementia and death subtly illustrating the professionalism and general super hero-ness of the UK’s ambulance crews.

Local actors are engaged to provide al fresco vignettes of the 999 calls with audience participation required (although why I needed to wrap a birthday gift for an old chap and watch him drink and feed his absent dog I don’t know)

– Karen Bussell