If it makes you sick to see hospitals closing down, to see the queues for the new ‘wonder’ drugs that help you to forget that you’ve no job, no decent home, no decent education for your kids; if you are sick and tired of hearing about the latest cuts in your ever declining standard of living, then you need to see the new play by Red Ladder, aptly titled It Makes Yer Sick.
It is their first full length play since their successful A Woman’s Work is Never Done. And in 90 minutes it manages to examine the NHS and the wider problems of health in our society. If you think that is depressing, they will manage to cheer you up with some excellent songs and a lot of laughs, which help to make the criticisms more effective.
As it stands at the moment it is a bit long in parts, but Red Ladder are hoping to develop a shorter version based around the songs and I’d recommend that all cuts committees, unions, Trades Councils and every group fighting the cuts should book them for their meetings. If you are going to hold a benefit or social then book the whole play — you’ll not regret it.
The only comment to be made at this stage is that the politics are not punched out clearly enough. But one of the best points about this group is that they continue to revise their work from the comments made. And I gather they have already started to work on it. So don’t miss this one.
You can contact them at: 58 Wray Crescent, London N4. 01 263 1053.