Outpatient at Park Theatre | Review

Fresh from its award-winning run at the Edinburgh Festival, Outpatient arrives at Park Theatre courtesy of Crowded Room and writer-performer Harriet Madeley. Billed as an explosive, solo autobiographical comedy, the show is part blistering satire, part unflinching self-examination—and while it doesn’t always land its emotional blows, it’s undeniably bold and sharply drawn.

The story follows Olive, a self-obsessed entertainment journalist desperate to make a name for herself. Jealous of her war correspondent partner Hazel’s gravitas, she decides to pursue death as her next big subject—by interviewing terminally ill patients at a palliative care ward. Predictably, her smug detachment doesn’t go down well. Then comes a twist: Olive learns she’s also living on borrowed time.

No one around her knows how to handle the news—least of all Olive. Her doctor has nothing to offer. Hazel turns to herbs and wellness. Her parents just want to avoid the conversation altogether. So Olive does what she knows best: she cuts ties, throws herself into her work, and auditions for a reality singing competition, convinced she’s seizing her final shot at meaning and freedom. But is this freedom? The play doesn’t answer that question neatly—and that’s part of its strength.

As a character, Olive isn’t particularly likeable. She’s selfish, theatrical, and utterly convinced the world revolves around her. But she is funny—radiating main character energy and delivering lines packed with irony. Many of the show’s sharpest laughs come from the disconnect between her delusions of grandeur and the increasingly absurd reality of her situation.

Madeley navigates this tightrope with impressive control, delivering an irony-dense script with razor-sharp timing. Each quip is given just enough space to land before the momentum shifts again. The staging is minimal but clever: a Pilates ball, a treadmill, and a screen for projections keep the pace dynamic, while pre-recorded voices help flesh out the world around Olive.

Yet for all its wit, Outpatient sometimes rushes past the emotional weight of its subject matter. The more serious moments—particularly those concerning Olive’s mortality and her strained relationship with Hazel—feel clipped, undercut by the show’s relentless comedic rhythm. Even the poignant final reveal, when voice notes and family photos quietly confirm the play’s autobiographical nature, feels fleeting.

Still, Outpatient is a fiercely intelligent and entertaining solo show that subverts expectations at every turn. It skewers ego, questions the narratives we build around illness, and refuses to offer easy conclusions. If it occasionally sacrifices emotional depth for comic speed, it more than compensates with boldness, originality, and an unmistakable personal truth.

Performance Details:

• Previews: Tuesday 20 & Wednesday 21 May 2025
• Press Night: Thursday 22 May 2025 at 19:00
• Run: Tuesday 20 May – Saturday 7 June 2025

For tickets and more information, visit the Park Theatre’s official website: parktheatre.co.uk/event/outpatient