With only a matter of weeks to go before The Edinburgh Fringe begins, I talk to Tending Writer El Blackwood!
Tending, a verbatim account of over 70 nurses, takes us on a journey to the heart of our healthcare system.
Could you tell us what ‘Tending’ is about?
Tending is the first verbatim play about the experiences of NHS nurses. Based on over 70 interviews with nurses of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities, Tending immerses you in their day-to-day lives. We learn why they became nurses, about the memories that they’ll always carry with them, their grief and their joy. Tending is a play about what it means to care, and asks an essential question: when the system’s under pressure and lives are on the line, who takes time to care for the carers?
The show is a verbatim piece of theatre from accounts of 70 nurses. Could you tell us what verbatim is and what made you write the show this way?
Verbatim is a type of theatre that builds a world out of the real testimonies of people, normally on a particular theme. Tending for example explores the experiences of NHS nurses, so draws on in-depth interviews with them. I chose to write the show this way because as a form, it offers the audience the most truthful representation of nurses’ lives, which was our ultimate aim. Similarly, the fact that the audience knows that everything said on stage has been said by a real nurse in an interview is incredibly powerful. They know that the stories that they hear on stage actually happened. As such, verbatim offers the most authentic form of storytelling.
What was the inspiration for the show? And what was it that inspired you?
The inspiration for the show came from my oldest and best friend, who is a Paediatric ICU nurse. Listening to her stories over the years, and then finding myself in hospital caring for a close family member for several long stints, affirmed my belief that the world of nurses was hugely overlooked and deserved to be explored.
It says that the show's team felt a “responsibility to do justice to the nurses behind the production”. How do you feel that the show does this?
Each of our team feels a deep sense of responsibility to both the nurses who have contributed to Tending, and to the nursing community more widely. It’s a huge privilege to be trusted with people’s memories, many of which range from the joyful to the traumatic. The commitment to treating these stories with the sensitivity and respect that they deserve has been at the heart of the script making, rehearsals and performance processes. While making Tending, I also shared the script with nurses to ensure that it felt authentic for them. More widely, our aim is to justice to them by encouraging not just empathy but action from the audience, and also raising money for our brilliant charity partner: the Cavell Trust.
How has the audience reactions impacted the show from last year's Fringe?
The audience reactions last year were incredibly encouraging, and have also honed the show even further this year. We were overwhelmed by the number of healthcare workers who came to see Tending, and told us that they felt that they’d seen the reality of their lives on stage for the first time. Similarly, we had many audience members who were related to nurses, often parents, who told us that they finally understood more about why their child didn’t talk about work. We were encouraged by these reactions, and also inspired to make Tending feel even more immersive. In subsequent interviews, I’ve asked for much more sensory detail for example - how do the wards smell, sound and feel? As well as gone further into certain issues that audience members repeatedly told us they were affected by. We’re incredibly excited to share the new version with audiences this year.
Could you tell us your writing process for the show, what was the most difficult/easiest part of writing the show and how did you tackle the verbatim element?
The writing process for the show was very different to others, because of the verbatim nature. The beginning part looked like really thinking about what elements of nursing we wanted to ask about when drafting the questions, while also allowing enough room for the interviews to flow and go to unexpected places. I was really surprised by some things that came up repeatedly, so began to delve more deeply into these. This process was therefore iteratively shaped a lot by the stories I heard as I went through. I thought a difficult part would be finding enough nurses to interview, especially as they are understandably very busy people! However, they were incredibly generous with their time, and kept putting me in touch with others.
The hardest part of the writing process was turning so much material into a three-person narrative with characters that felt genuinely distinct, yet collectively communicated what it was like to be a nurse. Part of the difficulty here was choosing what stories to not include, as we had so many extraordinary accounts. Sharing some of this decision making with people who had real experience of nursing was crucial, here, and a huge help.
How excited are you about going to the Fringe again and what would be your 3 pieces of advice for new shows that are performing at this year’s Festival?
We’re beyond excited to be going to the Fringe again - it’s the best place in the world to be in August!
My top three pieces of advice for new shows performing would be:
Look after your team. While the Fringe is brilliant, it is also hugely demanding. Performing, producing, marketing, trying to put on the best show you can while trying to break even and not get ill etc etc. I would actually schedule time to do something that is totally unrelated, like going to the cinema, swimming or whatever you’re into!
Market your show in advance. Building cross-marketing relationships with other shows is incredibly helpful, and I also wouldn’t be afraid to reach out to local organisations that aren’t necessarily associated with the Fringe, but may still be interested in what your play speaks to.
Absorb as much art as you can. Slightly in contrast to point 1, but the Fringe is so unique for the standard and amount of creativity being shared. Comedy, performance art, theatre, cabaret - some of the best things I’ve ever seen have been at the Fringe.
Who should come and see ‘Tending’?
Am I allowed to say everyone?
Favourite part of the show?
My favourite part of the show is when the nurses go from talking about the moments of tenderness that weave the ward together, to making each other almost cry with laughter.
Describe the show in one sentence or 3 words?
A heart-breaking, hilarious and very human look at the experience of the nurses on the frontline of our health service.
Tending will preview 29th July at Henderson Theatre in Shotts, then moving onto the Fringe performing at Venue 61, Belly Button, Underbelly, Cowgate from 1st – 11th and; 13th – 25th August 2024 (Preview 1st and 2nd August 2024)
Henderson Theatre, Shotts Tickets are available from buytickets.at/spotlightshotts/1296729
Fringe Box Office Tickets are available from tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/tending
(Photo Credit - James Pearson-Howes)
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