Black Hole Sign at Tron Theatre, Glasgow Review
Written by Liam Lambie for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Black Hole Sign at the Tron Theatre is a sharp, funny, and through provoking new play that captures the chaos and humanity of an overstretched NHS ward. Written by Uma Nada-Rajah, who’s a nurse herself in a critical care unit with NHS Scotland, the production feels rooted in real experience while still veering into the absurd.
The story unfolds over a single turbulent night shift as the staff wrestle with exhaustion and impossible demands, a porter works steadily in the background and an elderly patient drift in and out of delirium fuelled rants and visions of disco balls and nights out at the dancing… not to mention the literal hole in the ceiling, an unsettling reminder of how close everything is to collapse.
The cast are strong and all deliver performances worthy of praise. Helen Logan gives charge nurse, Crea, both authority and a compelling vulnerability. Dani Heron as Ani delivers a performance filled with compassion, and Betty Valencia brings a lot of comedy as the nervous student nurse, Lina.
Martin Docherty’s Billy the porter is a relatable presence on the stage - everyone in Glasgow knows a Billy, and he brought the character to life with heart and Beruce Khans palliative care patient, Iain, takes the audience on an emotional journey as he faced his own mortality.
Ann Louise Ross gave a stand out performance as Tersia, her one-liners often broke up more serious moments and delivered welcomed humour and audiences were all too willing to join her in her fever-dream moments caused by the character’s UTI, which was delivered with complete realism and absurdity all at once.
The play moves fast and juggles comedy, tragedy, and absurdity all at the same time but sometimes the shifts are a little abrupt, and a couple of the plotlines feel like they could go further or get slightly lost. However, that being said, the energy of the piece and performances never dip.
Black Hole Sign doesn’t just tell us about a system under strain; it makes us feel the tension and the resilience of the people who keep it going.
Black Hole Sign plays at Tron Theatre, Glasgow until 4 Oct before playing at the Traverse Theatre from 8-18th October.
★★★★
