REVIEW: The Language of Kindness at the Shoreditch Town Hall

Based on the critically acclaimed book by Christie Watson- ‘The Language of Kindness’ is a dance theatre piece that examines the underbelly of life on the ward. Made up of an ensemble of six talented actors, were guided through a cross-section of NHS experiences. We meet nurses on their first day at work and more experienced nurses visiting patients homes. We meet young patients with brain tumours and older patients on chemotherapy. A broad range of characters, which the cast pull off well.

I must admit, before heading to the glorious Shoreditch Town Hall venue I was skeptical. I didn’t know whether I wanted to experience a piece that would still feel so raw in the context of an ongoing pandemic. But one could argue that this is the exact reason why the show needs to be experienced at this time. It shines a light on those who’ve kept so many alive this year. A character in the piece discusses the effect of these traumatic experiences for the nurses and asks ‘What’s the cost?’ What happens to a nurse after a tube carrying blood is cut open and splatters all over the wall? What happens when you watch a patient unexpectedly die from a heart attack? They joke about the lack of aftercare and respect from those higher up. With the recent debate over the one percent pay rise for NHS staff, this line of questioning does feel particularly poignant.