Paul T Davies reviews Mark Thomas: Check Up: Our NHS @ 70 now playing at the Traverse Theatre as part of the Edinburgh Fringe.
Mark Thomas: Check Up: Our NHS @ 70
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe
16 August 2018
4 Stars
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It’s always good to check up with Mark Thomas on anything, and here he casts his forensic eye on the NHS in its 70th birthday. Of course, if you go to see one of his shows, you’re likely to share his lefty views, and the piece has been incredibly well researched. Mark spent time with staff in A and E, interviewed a range of experts, and was given a doom laden prediction by a GP about the illnesses he can look forward to as he slides towards 70. It’s a sobering piece and the under funding, even if you know it, is shocking.
If this sounds a little dry, Thomas’s set is a cross between lecture and stand up, and he has a warm, engaging personality, with a bulldog streak that you wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of. The interviews and facts are reported verbatim, and the general agreement is that a rise in taxation is what is needed for the NHS to survive. But what really shines through is the incredible staff and the belief and faith that we all have in the system.
At the founding of the NHS, Nye Bevan said that it was created, “In place of fear.” Now, due to cuts, especially in mental health and social care, and a Right wing narrative that tells us we can’t afford the NHS, fear is back. What this excellent performance does is make sure you check up with your anger about this. Long may Mark Thomas keep calling the decision makers out.
