GRACE UNDER PRESSURE to Play the Seymour Centre This Month

This October, Seymour Centre and The Big Anxiety Festival present the world premiere of Grace Under Pressure - a new verbatim theatre play that delves into the workplace and training cultures of health professionals - cultures that are making doctors and nurses sick, and can put patients' lives at risk.

Medicine and nursing are commonly referred to as 'the caring professions', and yet almost every week there are new reports of bullying and harassment experienced by many health professionals. Recent reports from Beyond Blue have suggested that the rates of clinical depression, suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviours among doctors and nurses are twice as high as the national average. Grace Under Pressure asks - how might we as a society better care for our carers?

Co-writers David Williams and Paul Dwyer, in collaboration with the Sydney Arts and Health Collective, have developed the play through interviews with nurses and doctors about their experiences of training and working in hospitals. Co-writer and director David Williams states:

"We've interviewed over 30 health professionals at various stages in their careers for Grace Under Pressure, and on the one hand I've been shocked at the frequency of terrible experiences within training and hospitals. On the other hand, I've been amazed by the passion and joy that these nurses and doctors bring to their work, and the grace with which these people face tremendous challenges in the face of life and death. This play does not shy away from dark places and real-life horror stories, but it also reveals its characters to be strong, resilient health professionals who are not simply defined by their struggles with anxiety, stress, and illness. This play has been a genuine privilege to write, and we look forward to sharing it with audiences in October."

Grace Under Pressure will open public conversation, and encourage cultural change within the medical and nursing professions. Grace Under Pressure is a deeply moving work that is both hopeful and compelling, a unique glimpse for the general public into the often-closed world of the health sector.

IF YOU GO:

GRACE UNDER PRESSURE
DATES: 25th to 28th October
TIMES: Wednesday 8pm, Thursday 8pm. Friday 4pm and 8pm, Saturday 2pm and 8pm
TICKETS: Adults $38 / Concession $30
BOOKINGS: www.seymourcentre.com/events/event/grace-under-pressure or (02) 9351 7940

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