REVIEW: TENDING by El Blackwood at Riverside Studios 15 April – 4 May 2025
‘Expertly-crafted’ ★★★ ½
A hospital curtain and 3 plastic chairs, matching the blue scrubs on each of our 3 actors – this is all Tending needs to exposit on the lives and struggles of modern NHS nurses. It does so expertly and effectively but, as the plainness of the staging indicates, it lacks that special something.
No one could fault the show with a lack of realism, as lead actor and writer El Blackwood demonstrates exceptional dedication both on-stage and beyond as she brings to life interviews conducted with many current and former nurses. Combined with impressive and lively direction from John Livesey, every emotional push called for by the script is built up and executed flawlessly from sorrow to laughter, with Blackwood’s supporting actors (Anjelica Serra and Ben Lynn) having their roles down to a fine art.
With these pieces in place we are guided along through the day to day lives of nurses from several departments, from ICUs to pediatric wards, who all share the same core experiences. All look after their patients, all of them care, all do their best while feeling the pinch of cuts and all have their lows. Some of them conclusively. It all feels authentic and visceral, and it’s here that the show is undoubtedly at its strongest.
But there are drawbacks. The simple staging is effective yet falters somewhat in just how static things stay for the full-length, despite good initiatives of dance and movement in the first half. Further, for all the virtues of the show’s verbatim basis, it limits affairs to a mere reflection of the tried and true internal issues of the NHS; there isn’t enough staff, there isn’t enough money and people are dying needlessly.
As documentary this can’t be faulted, but as theatre it’s missing an additional edge; a narrative that arrives somewhere distinct from where it started or that produces inspiring spectacle. It’s not a show that will leave you different on leaving compared to when you came in. At its worst it offers no genuine insight into an age-old and complex issue, preaching to the choir with expert craftsmanship but without any higher ambition or theatrical risk-taking. And without these, it’s just shy of greatness.
Tending runs at Riverside Studios from 15 April – 4 May
Written by El Blackwood
Directed by John Livesey
Box office: https://riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/tending-156272/
Produced by Anther Theatre
Reviewed by Harry Conway
