Review: SUPER HIGH RESOLUTION, Soho Theatre

Anna's daily life is defined by unpaid overtime and exhaustion. Between a missed wedding and a skipped birthday, she has learnt that being a junior doctor in the NHS in its current state means sacrificing pretty much everything in her private sphere. Colleagues demand she cancel her appointments at the drop of a hat, even when they impact on her own mental well-being. She is reaching the end of the rope.

Nathan Ellis writes a celebration of the medical profession that condemns the absolute lack of respect this government keeps showing its doctors. Directed by Blanche McIntyre, Super High Resolution is the counterpoint to the likes of Adam Kay's stand-up career. The spotless banter - especially between Anna (Jasmine Blackborow) and her sister Becca (Leah Whitaker) - is counterbalanced by a harsh reality that not even dark humour can sugarcoat.

Astounding levels of empathy and perceptiveness coexist with the numbness necessary to survive the brutal environment and regular burnout. The script is witty and remarkably realistic, but Ellis goes off on a few tangents that alter an otherwise reliable pace. Strands of one-sided conversations haunted by apologies and bad news summarise Anna's day well, but the stillness of the visuals arrests their outcome.

Coming in at circa 100 minutes, the play could be shaved slightly for the benefit of its momentum, but it gives Blackborow the chance to deliver a cross-genre performance of great depth. Her comedic timing with Whitaker is precise and flawlessly natural. Their relationship is sturdy yet flawed; they're there for each other, but can't help but hurt one another. Anna's emotional unavailability permeates every aspect of her existence, both at the hospital and with her family.

Her romantic life isn't going much better either, with Lewis Shepherd's David disappointing her nonexistent expectations. Andrew D Edwards' set design compartmentalises the stage with blue cubicle curtains where the different sides of her life coexist as one - a representation of Anna's inner world. Long, cold neons exacerbate the antiseptic vibe of the visuals, allowing lighting designer Prema Mehta to come in with the same headache-inducing effect that hospital lights have.

Ultimately, this is a story of unintentional alienation and the role of mental health in those who care for other people's. It's funny and tragic, thought-provoking and entertaining. It's far from being a perfect piece, but it paints an accurate picture of the shambolic conditions doctors and nurses are forced to work in.

Super High Resolution runs at Soho Theatre until 3 December.

Photo credit: Helen Murray

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