Post by oedipus on Nov 22, 2022 10:00:47 GMT
I was surprised not to see a thread about this show since it had received generally glowing notices, so I grabbed a Monday evening ticket and went. I'd never been to the theatre before, so it was an adventure.
From the lobby and the website, I guess I was sort of expecting a kooky, off-kilter evening of theatre: there are lots of posters for cabaret shows, experimental theatre, and the like. To my (pleasant) surprise, Super High Resolution is, on the contrary, a well-produced, sturdily-constructed play that would easily fit into the season of any number of regional theaters.
The plot follows the travails of a young NHS doctor (played with extraordinary skill by Jasmine Blackborow) as she navigates both professional setbacks and personal ones. Scenes are generally two-person dialogues, often corresponding to events that have happened off-stage, with the doctor reacting to the hurdles presented by her patients, boss, family, and even romantic interest. The play goes to some exceedingly dark places, though leavened by moments of blisteringly quick wit and deft writing. The sound design for the penultimate scene--which bucks the dramatic structure--was extraordinary.
The evening might use a bit of trimming: it's 100 minutes, and might have shed 10 minutes or so. And the use of blue medical curtains to delineate space is efficient and sensible but doesn't provide much variety. But this is a heartfelt place about a serious problem--burnout in the medical profession, particularly post-pandemic--and presented with sensitivity and a real commitment to its cause.
From the lobby and the website, I guess I was sort of expecting a kooky, off-kilter evening of theatre: there are lots of posters for cabaret shows, experimental theatre, and the like. To my (pleasant) surprise, Super High Resolution is, on the contrary, a well-produced, sturdily-constructed play that would easily fit into the season of any number of regional theaters.
The plot follows the travails of a young NHS doctor (played with extraordinary skill by Jasmine Blackborow) as she navigates both professional setbacks and personal ones. Scenes are generally two-person dialogues, often corresponding to events that have happened off-stage, with the doctor reacting to the hurdles presented by her patients, boss, family, and even romantic interest. The play goes to some exceedingly dark places, though leavened by moments of blisteringly quick wit and deft writing. The sound design for the penultimate scene--which bucks the dramatic structure--was extraordinary.
The evening might use a bit of trimming: it's 100 minutes, and might have shed 10 minutes or so. And the use of blue medical curtains to delineate space is efficient and sensible but doesn't provide much variety. But this is a heartfelt place about a serious problem--burnout in the medical profession, particularly post-pandemic--and presented with sensitivity and a real commitment to its cause.