Black Hole Sign

When a hole appears in the roof of a crumbling and understaffed A&E department, patients, porters and nurses do what they must to make it through the night.

Senior charge nurse Crea strives to deliver sage and effective care while porter Hamish angles after a date. Staff nurse Ani juggles her bursting caseload, knowing that no one has come to Mr. Hopper's bedside for his final moments. Octogenarian Tersia is trapped in a disco-fuelled fever dream, while a disgruntled Fred Turnbull prepares his strongly worded complaint. And student nurse Lina has No. Idea. What. Is. Going. On.

Personal principles clash with professional obligations as three generations of nurses and one 'long in the tooth' porter are pushed towards breaking point.

Written by practising NHS critical care nurse Uma Nada-Rajah and directed by Traverse Artistic Director Gareth Nicholls, Black Hole Sign takes a razor-sharp scalpel to the absurdities, tragedies and hilarity within one of our most beloved but besieged institutions.

An exploration of changing attitudes towards an institution once world renowned, the play asks what we want for the future of our National Health Service and, crucially, who will hold it together when it all falls down?

Black Hole Sign is part of the Traverse's £1 Tickets Project.

The Traverse is funded by Creative Scotland and The City of Edinburgh Council.

Writer's note:

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