NHSmackdown is a new piece of theatre by Lawless (Leeds Queer Wrestling, Rich Tea Drag), drawing on personal experience as an NHS worker who, also, happens to be a wrestler and performance artist... Can nurse Nigel take on the Winter Gauntlet? Who will win the Battle of the Billionaires? Will anyone ever get a pay raise?
Lawless uses wrestling as a showstopping medium to explore the politics of what it's like to be a ‘front line’ health care worker. Are we ‘soldiers’? Or ‘heroes’? Or even cannon fodder? Who lies behind the masks?
Fusing real stories from Lawless and other healthcare workers with political ‘battles’ and drawing on the rhetoric of a government that both champions and destroys its health service. NHSmackdown is a cathartic and honest exploration of the rageful and ridiculous moments in British healthcare, from the dramatic to the mundane.
Created in collaboration with Sh!t Theatre, produced by artist/wrestler Heather Bandenburg (I Need to Cher, Mummy Vs) and supported by Centre for Live Art Yorkshire.
Doors open at 7.30pm
The Performance will start at 8:30pm
Content warnings: Discussion of death, trauma, PTSD, killing someone, depression. A video of maggots.
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The runtime of all events at CLAY are an estimation.
We can't give an exact runtime for the majority if our events as often they are experimental in nature.
Work in our Programme can be anywhere from 40 - 90mins unless stated otherwise.
Additionally performances are relaxed, meaning you can leave the performance space at anytime if needed.
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This is event is wheelchair accessible. We have done what we can to make the space accessible by including a wheelchair friendly portaloo on the floor of the event space. We also have 2 gender-neutral toilets that are down a flight of stairs that is 12 steps. Unfortunately, there is no lift in our building. The rest of the building is on one floor. Unless stated this is a relaxed performance. If you need any more information please check our venue info page here.