Allelujah!
Alan Bennett
Set in The Beth, an old-fashioned community hospital in Yorkshire threatened with closure due to NHS efficiency drives, the play follows the staff and elderly patients as they fight to save their institution. The drama blends sharp political commentary on the state of the healthcare system with touching, often humorous portraits of aging. As the hospital prepares for a documentary crew’s visit, a darker plot involving a series of mysterious deaths begins to unfold. It is a deeply felt, often angry, yet ultimately compassionate play about how we treat our elderly and the value of community care.
Sister Gilchrist: A formidable, long-serving nurse whose unwavering dedication to her elderly patients conceals a darker, more pragmatic approach to the challenges of geriatric care. Dr. Valentine: A compassionate, immigrant doctor who loves his patients and provides the moral heart of the hospital while struggling with the bureaucratic pressures of closure. Colin: A pragmatic, upwardly mobile management consultant who visits the hospital to assess its viability, representing the cold, efficiency-driven side of modern healthcare policy.
First Performance: 2018, at Bridge Theatre, London
Critically acclaimed for its mix of warmth and biting social critique; its premiere was a major event at the new Bridge Theatre.
Original Actors: Deborah Findlay, Samuel Barnett, Sacha Dhawan