Outpatient | Park Theatre

How should people deal with death? After its successful run at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Outpatient, a one-woman show written by Harriet Madeley based on her own experiences, comes to the Park Theatre and leads the audience into the topic. In this 80-minute play, Madeley also plays the main character Olive.

Olive is a self-centred entertainment journalist who has always wanted to write an impactful article. One day, she realises that death is a topic most people are reluctant to discuss. On a sudden whim, she decides to interview patients facing death and use their answers to write her piece. However, the process turns out to be far more complicated than she had imagined. Just as she is preparing her article, she unexpectedly learns that she may have a rare disease herself—and that she doesn't have much time left either. At first, she puts on a brave face, acting as if she can confront her own death with a different attitude. But as time passes, she gradually realises that things are not so simple. Her actions also end up having a profound impact on the people around her.

A small treadmill and a Swiss ball—that’s pretty much all there is on stage. The lighting design (Megan Lucas) is not overly complex, but it effectively sets the emotional tone. On the screen at the back of the stage, visuals occasionally accompany Olive’s inner thoughts, depicting the imagined progression of her illness and serving as a reminder to both her and the audience of the passage of time. Other characters in the play—Olive’s parents, her fiancée Tess, a woman named Evelyn whom she meets during an interview, her doctor, and friends—are all presented through audio recordings. The audience primarily experiences the story from Olive’s perspective, following her as she navigates the world around her.

Madeley’s performance is full of vitality, with a natural sense of humor that brings charm to a character who might not otherwise be very likable. Watching her go through various experiences, I couldn’t help but laugh at her actions, while also occasionally feeling a sense of sadness. The fact that the audience can empathise with a character who is so clearly flawed speaks to the excellence of Madeley’s performance.

The writing of this play is remarkably clever. Instead of depicting pain through a sorrowful lens, it presents an outwardly optimistic tone that subtly allows the audience to feel the confusion and helplessness people experience in the face of death. In the story, Olive ultimately comes to the realisation that “love is all you need,” gradually reconnecting with her true self and the people who love her.

Perhaps in real life, love isn’t the only thing people need, but it’s hard to imagine anyone enduring life alone in a place without love. Outpatient delivers this message in a natural, light-hearted, and humorous way.

Outpatient runs at Park Theatre until 7th June 2025.

Tickets and More Information

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Abi Mowbray