HEARTSINK by Farine Clarke to be Presented at Riverside Studios

Unequal Productions will present Heartsink, a new bittersweet comedy written by former GP Farine Clarke, and directed by Sean Turner (Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Arse for England, The Play That Goes Wrong), which will play at Riverside Studios from 21 April – 10 May.

For GP Jeffrey Longford, a cancer diagnosis turns his faith in the medical fraternity inside out. Crossing the divide from confident clinician to frightened patient, challenges his professional certainties at every turn — from the way individuals are labelled by their conditions, to the ethical fault-lines surrounding assisted dying.

Written with warmth, intelligence and lived experience, Heartsink is a sharp, humane comedy that tackles ostensibly unfunny subject matter with wit and compassion. Alongside Jeffrey are a cast of richly drawn characters: Cara, an Irish patient whose hypochondria conceals a devastating truth; Suzie, a hospital receptionist whose abrasive exterior masks a brilliant philosophical mind; and Dr Roofi, a colleague forced to confront duty, loyalty and conscience.

The title, Heartsink, once used as a tag to warn doctors about a dreaded patient — becomes a quietly radical re-examination of empathy, power and humanity within modern medicine.

Farine Clarke said, “A doctor who’s a patient has insights into both sides; that’s not reassuring but terrifying and strangely, very funny. I know what it’s like to walk the wards donning scrubs and a stethoscope but learnt how it feels to lie in an institutional bed wearing an NHS nightie and paper knickers. I hear what the professionals say to me but listen for what they’re not telling me. I understand how important it is not to adopt illness behaviour, but at every turn the system emphasises the condition and strips away my identity. 

Heartsink comes from this collision of perspectives. The play uses a fair dollop of gallows humour to tell layered stories which entertain, surprise and encourage societal conversations. I’m very proud that healthcare professionals appreciated this play as much as the far wider audience; valuing that Heartsink juxtaposes two worlds which are intricately linked in their purpose but widely separate in their experience.”

Heartsink is written by Farine Clarke and directed by Sean Turner. The creative team includes set designer Matteo Mastrandrea, lighting designer Chuma Lighting Design, sound designer Hattie North, designer Tom Mann, and casting director Ellie Collyer-Bristow Casting.