A play using puppetry based on the words and experiences of health professionals and bereaved relatives of people who died in hospital is to be a highlight of the London’s Suspense Puppetry Festival this weekend (29^th to 31^st October). The play uses verbatim text edited by the playwright Mike Kenny from a research study undertaken at the University of Warwick funded by the Burdett Nursing Trust.

The play entitled Passing On – will be performed by Sante’ Theatre in association with Little Angel Theatre and in collaboration with the University of Warwick’s Institute of Health. It is directed by Claudette Bryanston with the actorsWith Paul Nolan, Alison Belbin, Bharti Patel and Paul Magson and will be performed at the Rosemary Branch Theatre .

Professor Gillian Hundt from the University of Warwick’s School of Health & Social Studies says:

“Passing On explores ethical, personal and professional dilemmas of end of life care and touches on many of the issues raised in the recent CQC report on Dignity and Nutrition of older people in hospital. “

In one line of text from the play “Joyce” says:

“You take our daughter; she got I don’t know how many around her when she was in labour and this that and the other; but when you are going out… you don’t get that much attention do you?”

Notes for editors:

The University of Warwick has funded the development of this production through the award of a Creative Fellowship for the Theatre Director at the University’s CAPITAL Centre, funds to commission the playwright from Open Space Learning, support for a rehearsed reading held in June 2011 from the University’s Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning and an award from the University’s Institute for Advanced Study to take the production to the Suspense Festival in London.

Further details available from http://www.rosemarybranch.co.uk/#/passing-on/4554763853 and http://www.suspensefestival.com/content/home

For further information please contact:

Professor Gillian Hundt, Professor of Social Sciences in Health
School of Health & Social Studies
University of Warwick,
07957111626
gillian.hundt@warwick.ac.uk

Or Claudette Bryanston - 07733406235

Or Peter Dunn, Head of Communications, University of Warwick
Tel: 024 76 523708 or mobile 07767 655860 p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk

PR153 26th October 2011