Burned Out is a current and political piece about the current state of the NHS, recognising the personal sacrifices that health workers make.
Burned Out follows several characters, but the main premise is that a nurse, Becky, has been struggling to make ends meet and her local food bank is losing its biggest benefactor. The next forty-five minutes follow her aim in getting the donations back.
I really liked how the performance looked at the importance of friendship and community. Throughout the performance all the characters, with the exception of Lee, look out for one another. They clearly represented what is such a strength of the NHS. The story line of Lee was also interesting, and I enjoyed the way that he was able to develop throughout the performance. I really liked how the play not only looked at his faults, but also dived deep to the root of why he was the way he was. This allowed the audience to connect with all characters.
A small criticism would be that, at points, I felt the performance could have been smoother, with the stage curtains not always closing and being able to see cast behind stage, which also created background noise. Whilst a small annoyance, I feel that fixing this would create a better and slicker atmosphere. However, it must be acknowledged that both the lighting and sound were excellent, and had been well-thought through in order to maximise their impact on the audience.
Overall, Burned Out is a very interesting piece that keeps your eyes open, allowing you to stay educated in a time of upheaval for our wonderful NHS. Burned Out is definitely one to watch!
Burned Out is on at theSpace @ Surgeons Hall at 11:50 until 19 August, with the exception of 13. Tickets are available: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/burned-out