Review: Tiger Country, Tobacco Factory Theatres – ‘Engaging, thoughtful and full of strong performances’

Tiger Country by Nina Raine is the latest production from the students of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, taking us to the concrete jungle of a London A&E department, as the staff tackle long hours, lack of resources and each other.

As you might expect, it is a frenetic look inside the hospital, full of fast-paced action and medical jargon as the frontline workers try to care for their patients as well as safeguarding their own personal lives. While the play itself isn’t brand new, it seems more relevant than ever given the current state of the country and the pressures on the healthcare sector.

Whilst the play features a full and diverse cast of characters, its impact rests largely on Nuhazet Diaz Cano, Shaniya Hira and Niamh Keller as John, Vashti and Emily respectively. They all portray their roles with strong confidence and total commitment.

Hira shines as Vashti, fighting for respect in a male-dominated space where her arrogance can be both a strength and a weakness. But here we get to see behind this steely exterior; her personal life bleeds into her professional one when her aunt is taken in for surgery. The emotionally crushing final scene in which she features is expertly handled.

Cano also gives a strong performance as John, who is battling with his own medical issues; unfortunately, he isn’t given too much to do in the second half of the show. Other acting highlights include Noah Lukehurst as the hard-to-work-with Mark and Keller as Emily, newly arrived at the hospital.

Elevating the performances, the stage design is simple and effective. Those familiar medical curtains are frequently drawn across the stage, creating differently-sized rooms and spaces such as surgeries, wards, meeting rooms, and a staff lounge.

The lighting feels cold and clinical for most of the performance, instantly transporting us into the sterile environment of the London hospital. Whiteboards with x-ray scans, plug sockets, windows and other paraphernalia are used to add those key elements anyone who’s spent any time in a hospital will recall.

Not all it works so seamlessly. Some artistic decisions such as the use of physical theatre don’t quite seem to quite gel with the rest of the play. And while most of the script is strong, occasionally the dialogue suffers from being a bit gimmicky, relying on obvious jokes and the odd clunky line.

But while it doesn’t fully go into detail about big issues in the healthcare industry, in its more naturalistic moments, Tiger Country really shines. It is an engaging and well-thought-out play championed by strong leads.

Tiger Country (age recommendation 14+) is at Tobacco Factory Theatres from March 9-16 at 7.30pm, with additional 2.30pm matinee shows on 14 and 16. Tickets are available at www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com.

All photos: Craig Fuller

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