Hold the Line
- Xi Ye
- 4 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Hope Theatre
Playing until 25th April 2026, then performing in Nottingham (27-28 April) and Newcastle (29 April – 2 May)
Photos credit: John Kolikis
{PR Gifted ticket}
Exploring the demand for efficiency in the NHS111 call centre, and the constant tension between the need for empathy and policy, Hold the Line provides a glimpse into the faceless individuals on either side of the phone. Experiencing a nightmarish shift, Gary (Sam MacGregor) attempts to do his best to help those that have dialled in, but his every move is scrutinised under a microscope when a patient dies.
Sam MacGregor’s script is deeply unnerving, how senior management, some of whom claimed to be or have been healthcare workers, are completely disconnected from reality, prioritising the need for efficiency and abandoning the emotional support needed by patients and their carers.
The play has taken good care of the patients engaged by our main phone operator, Gary, sharing both genuine needs and perhaps less urgent and mundane calls. Importantly, it sheds light on the pressure felt by one that is not medically trained and yet stuck in the middle of a literal life or death situation.
The narratives highlight the systemic issue faced by our current healthcare system, layers of triage, bureaucracy, and questions the necessity of some of the middle managements and the purposes they serve, whether they are there to serve the needs of those in need, or to protect the system from public scrutiny. The narrative definitely paints a picture, particular for those in more senior positions, to align to the latter. However, rather than depicting them as human beings constrained by their environment and driven by necessity, the script perhaps swings too far in the other direction and creates heartless paper or policy pushing machines, caring neither the sick nor the workers.
The choices made by the creatives and director, Laura Killeen, exaggerate the negativity and self-serving nature likely to be possessed by these NHS call centre managers and executives, villainising them to a degree that takes away the relatability of these characters.
Despite the issues in the way the managers are shown, the call operator Gary and his main point of escalation, Toni (Gabriela Chanova), showcase the stressfulness of their work environment, how easy mistakes could be made and their dependency on those with the ability to make medically sound decisions. The choreograph in which they become entangled by the telephone lines as the calls pile up is a particularly well thought out feature, even though the dance leading up to it is just unnecessarily long.
While disheartening to see patients are reduced to mere numbers for call centre workers, the script has also done a phenomenal job communicating the pressure the NHS is under, and that this is need to keep up with the flood of people that require help.
Creatives
Writer and Co-producer: Sam MacGregor
Co-producer: Gabriela Chanova
Director: Laura Killeen
Sound designer: Johnny Phethean
Carpentry: Nalani Julien
Prop maker: Sidney Smith