Pump House Theatre review: Whose life is it anyway?

‘Whose life is It anyway?’ by Brian Clark was at Watford’s Pump House Theatre this September for five serious but uplifting performances. Staring Siobhan Lambie-Philip as Claire Harrison, Claire is left paralysed after a car accident, forced to live the rest of her life in a hospital bed. To ease her pain she has one request, to die. A wonderful production by The Pump House, showcasing local talent within the community.

Each character displayed their moral compass in the overarching debate of assisted dying. In the hospital there is Dr David Scott (Guy Peskin), Dr Micheal Emerson (Roger Saper), Sister Anderson (Suzanne Brower) and new Nurse Kay Sadler (Amaya Ash Lopez de la Nieta). 

Overall, all the actors brought true care and reality to their roles, immersing the audience into the story. Sister Anderson is caring yet stern, making sure to follow every rule. Opposing the new trainee who isn’t experienced in ‘professionalism’ that the play remarks as inhibiting people in showing compassion above the needs of work. The doctors maintain that professionalism, specifically Dr Emerson, who insists Claire stay in hospital. 

The set design (by Robert Glass) was simple and effective. Central to the stage was Claire’s hospital bed and two smaller office desks to the side that alternated as spaces for the hospital staff. What really added something unique to the play was the use of a projector above the bed that showed the audience Claire’s emotions from a different point of view. The suppression of emotion at the lack of control over her own body shone. The white and grey nature of the set and costumes, Claire in a hospital gown, Sister Anderson in a knee-length white nurses dress, both doctors in suits and others in grey trousers and a plain white top helped highlight this further. The suits reflected the characters’ professionalism versus the empathy and humanity of the others in white. 

Siobhan as Claire was witty, vibrant and beautifully angry at the lack of control over her own life. The play may have had moments of comedic relief such as the budding romance between nurse Kay and John (Tarik Abbas), a helper at the hospital, but it also dealt with serious present-day issues around consent and living. After a trial over her mental health to ensure she is capable of making her own decisions, Claire is not just discharged but is “set free” from the prison of her own body.  

Director Richard Woolf writes, “in the present debate over assisted dying it never felt like a more prescient time to Direct this play. This is the new version in which our protagonist is female, but the issues dealt with remain in sharp focus…All human life in its messy complexity is on show and we aim to have you both thinking about Claire’s predicament, but also empathetic to the medical profession and their care and compassion. It has been a joy working with my talented company of actors and we hope that joy transmits to you the audience.”   

‘Whose life is it anyway?’ was a brilliant production by the Pump House with a talented cast and production team, I look forward to seeing what they do next.