What about making a musical, mmm?
When I was invited to review https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/a-pacifists-guide-to-the-war-on-cancer at the National Theatre, I had a very open mind. I could not begin to imagine what I was going to see, but I loved the idea! It was press night and many of the nationals were there, but they had a very different perspective to my own.
I am a long term patient with an incurable cancer, and have had many years of suffering my own emotional turmoil, because of endless stays in hospital and constant visits to my Consultant. My life has changed to such a degree that I am now a writer and speaker about cancer and run my own charity helping others. It seems that my family and I are well qualified in the subject of cancer!
There is so much duplication happening in this sector, that I find it important to try new and innovative ways to deal with the cancer issues. My opinion is that if we just carry on the same way we will only ever get the same results, which currently gives us a very sporadic support service, uncoordinated and disjointed. So many people involved, but having little impact for the increasing numbers of people affected by cancer. Technology is here to help us but it has to be embraced!
I would first like to thank Bryony Kimmings and Brian Lobel and their team for having the vision of this show. Their research must have been incredible, as every emotion that I had encountered was covered. I found the hospital waiting room scenes particularly poignant as patients swap stories, whilst watching the constant stream of doctors and nurses, there was even the annoying cleaner who wants to get involved in your case!The fear and terror of time in hospital is difficult to imagine unless you have experienced it, but you couldn’t fail to understand it after watching this show. Some fabulous one liners, “here come the positivity police,” “I have got to put on my cancer face,” “I don’t want to raise money with an ice bucket challenge,” and best of all “fuck cancer!”
Loud dramatic sound effects combined with the inflatable cancer cells and personal in depth stories made this a very powerful piece of theatre. Towards the end we find that it is based on Bryony’s personal experience with her son, and there was a moment where the audience were invited to shout out a name of someone who has been affected by cancer.
I totally got the show from beginning to end, and feel that everyone should see it. For me it is one of the most impactful pieces I have experienced. My wife came with me, and she felt the same, only a little confused with some parts.
Do I feel this way because I totally understood all the issues, I don’t know? Maybe if you are not affected by cancer, (very few I know,) you may get a little lost at times, but my view is you should see it anyway.
One of the big messages was “let’s be real about cancer, be who and what you are.” Finding new ways to get the message out is critical if we are going to deal with all the increasing psycho/social issues that are coming at us, as more are diagnosed with cancer. Innovation and thinking outside the box are so important.As our medical improvements continue, there will be more of us living with cancer. Of course this is excellent news but certainly brings a new set of problems to the table. Problems that we are far from ready to solve currently. But for us to deal with the real issues we first must understand what they are, and we can only do that if we get real about the impact of cancer.
Of course reviews are always subjective, and I am a sponge for all things cancer, so I couldn’t speak highly enough. For me it entertained and I came away very pensive about what I had just seen, and it provided continual dialogue for my wife and I.
Cancer is now a part of everyone’s life and I would like to thank everyone involved with the show for getting us talking. We have come a long way in recent years and maybe ‘A Pacifists Guide To The War On Cancer’ can be a catalyst for further improvement in the future!
If you would like to see more of my own cancer support work please check out my website, , Facebook or connect on Twitter @christheeagle1
My charity is YoursimPal We give free calls/texts/data and phones where necessary to anyone affected by cancer. Easy to apply and not means tested! Helping with the issues of isolation and cancer poverty.