Can we Afford the Doctor?

First written and performed in 1985, Can We Afford the Doctor is a look back at healthcare in the UK before the NHS’s creation in 1948. Made up from the memories of residents of South East London, the play is an informative reflection on the financial struggles of people in need of healthcare and a humorous look back at the alternative treatments once championed by many.

Today’s ongoing reform and privatisation of the NHS are a worry for many and the play’s 2014 incarnation was a topical reminder of how much worse off we were before the NHS was founded and how important it is to protect the service for the present and the future. The company, formed of third year students from the University of Greenwich, undertook a four week devising period in which they explored the issues raised in the play and their own feelings and experiences around healthcare as they worked on a new interpretation of the piece.

Cast:

Tom Barker
Maria Everett
Charlotte Chuck
Maria Everett
Lilly Gillan
Terry Harvey
Laura Kirkup
Ross Williams

Directed by Ross Crosby, with creative input and guidance from Pam Schweitzer and Heather Lilley