The theme of Peter Nicoll’s play remains very topical depicting as it does a Health Service under stress.
There are two parallel strands in the play that had to be reflected in the design. First the very real ward for terminal cancer patients and second the romantic doctors and nurses interludes which were played in front of a flown BP screen onto which were projected images in a “Mills and Boons” style. The success of the set was in no small measure due to the great talent of the scenic artist, Richard Wright. The projector was concealed behind one of the ventilation vents in the back wall. One of the stage management challenges was to find room for the beds in the very cramped wing space, as they were removed from the ward following a patients death.
