Revu Do Not Attempt This Conversation

“Do Not Attempt This Conversation” Poster

‘Do not attempt this conversation’ is a brave new play about Dr. Nneka, a junior doctor working for the NHS. She is suddenly forced to navigate a Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) conversation with Stephanie about her grandfather Symon. Mo Makas' debut play explores the unavoidable reality of end-of-life conversations, based on her own experience as an NHS doctor.

The subject matter is very important, and it is vital that we hear these stories from health care professionals about their experiences with the NHS. However, there appears to be a noticeable disconnect between what the play aims to achieve and my audience experience - the ‘why’ isn’t always clear. 

Unfortunately, the journey of both characters is fairly shallow, and neither seems to ever reach a breaking point. The conversation started at a 50% energy level and remained the same throughout, showing little character development. There is little variation in cadence for both characters, making some of the dialogue sound somewhat artificial. For the same reason, a lot of the jokes and contemporary references fell flat, although funny in theory. In general, I felt little connection to both characters. This again contributed to the ‘why’ being unclear - I struggled to engage with the story of two characters that didn’t feel like real people at times.

“Do Not Attempt This Conversation”

The play would benefit from more dramaturgical work; it often seems like the dialogue goes around in circles in a way that is perhaps authentic to real-life settings, but doesn’t translate well in a theatre with an audience. Some editing would be appropriate, perhaps in exchange for some authentic moments where we can get to know the characters better.

Sadly, this also meant that some of the more emotional moments appeared inauthentic, as there was little difference between emotionally charged moments toward the beginning of the play and later on. Some of the text is very heavy, and the character of Nneka speaks very unprofessionally at times. However, Stephanie’s reactions to this are fairly small and underwhelming, considering her grandfather's life is at stake. In general, a lot of the dialogue seems over-rehearsed, making it look like they are just reciting lines instead of actually acting and reacting to each other.

Stephanie’s switch-up on Nneka is very sudden and unclear. Her switch in attitude towards her grandfather Symon is similarly confusing - she says “he is my universe” at the beginning of the play, and reveals how abusive he was towards the end, calling him a “monster”. The two attitudes are radically different and never meet in the middle to portray what could be a woman with a deeply complex and conflicting relationship with a relative she didn’t truly know until her adult years. This revelation falls flat and appears inconsequential; it didn’t add any stakes as the energy levels in both actresses remained the same for the rest of the play. Symon seems to have no redeeming qualities, making it difficult for me to root for him or either of the women who, however conflictingly, care about him deeply. 

“Do Not Attempt This Conversation”

The more dimly lit moments are often unfavourable; at some points, I couldn’t see the actors' faces. The intentions behind these decisions were clear, although more tech time should be spent to make sure that the lighting hits in a way where the actor who is speaking can still be seen. This is a quick fix, and I believe lighting could be used very effectively in later iterations of this play.

The minimalistic set is a smart choice, as the main focus should be on the actors and the story. 

I believe this play has a lot of potential, but it could use some dramaturgical work as well as character development to make it fit for a fringe audience. It can be difficult to turn a real-life account into an engaging stage play whilst staying true to one’s own experience. However, all the building blocks are there; they just need to be put together in a way that creates a clear and engaging dramatic structure.

1/5 Stars

By Ophelia Fellhauer

“Do Not Attempt This Conversation”