The Yorkshire Post - Review: The Guinea Pig Club

Mon 15 Oct 2012

Written by Lauren Masterman

The remarkable story of Dr. Archibald McIndoe and his Guinea Pig Club may have originally provided a mere side-plot to the events of World War II but this autumn York Theatre Royal has given the astonishing tale of pain, hope and humanity the recognition it deserves with this brave performance.

Dr.McIndoe's humanity, compassion and determination saw him carry out some of the most challenging procedures in surgical history, changing the lives of his patients from the outside-in and building a legacy that well precedes the man himself.

The Play was born of a meeting between the Writer, Susan Watkins, and Dr. Arthur Courtenay Saunders who was a patient of McIndoe's and a member of The Guinea Pig Club; a group of McIndoe's past patients whose lives became intertwined through their experiences as burns survivors.

Watkins was determined to portray the doctor, not only as the innovative surgeon that he was but to also encapsulate the importance he placed on rebuilding the psychological self alongside the physical self in order to ascertain the recovery of the whole man-not just a face.

From the offset the audience is introduced to McIndoe, played by Graeme Hawley, with his no-nonsense, self-assured and determined persona commanding both the Ward and the stage in a realistic but never romanticised manner.

Each individual patient on the ward has a poignant and touching story which is revealed throughout the performance giving the audience an insight into the trauma caused by war, the accident that brought them to the Ward and the coping mechanisms that they clutch to in an attempt to survive their ordeal.

The horrors of war and the excruciating pain suffered by the soldiers is never far from the play's plot. However, hints of humour and glimpses into the patient's personalities pre-war reminds the audience that these are not only patients, soldiers or in fact characters but are based on the lives of real men, creating an empathy far beyond that of many other plays.

To contrast with the undercurrent of pain and sadness, and to reflect McIndoe's ethos of remaining hopeful and positive, scenes of drinking by the piano, witty banter and developing relationships keep the audience entertained and uplifted with some honest humour and laugh-out-loud moments.

Between scenes also comes a glamorous Marilyn Monroe lookalike singing songs from the era; although at first her appearance seems out of touch with the play, her presence becomes almost angelic as though watching over the patients during their hardest times, lifting their spirits and overseeing the 'miracle that took place on Ward Three'.

The bond between the doctor and each individual patient, the comradery between the soldiers and the integral role that the nurses play in encouraging both doctor and patients during times of self-doubt, all contribute to the triumphant characterisation which is fundamental to the success of this play.

By touching on issues which have a resonance with today's society such as the importance placed on appearance, the loss of self-worth through the inability to work and the sense of national pride sweeping the nation the play becomes relevant which assists in creating an affinity between the characters and audience on a personal level.

Read the review on The Yorkshire Post website.