FORTUNES OF WARD
THIS IS GOING TO HURT Lots of fluids and plenty of stress for Ben Whishaw’s NHS worker…
Ben Whishaw has been tarred and feathered (Criminal Justice), electrocuted (Nathan Barley) and eaten alive (Perfume). But life on a labour ward in the BBC’s new comedy-drama This Is Going To Hurt set a new standard for unpleasantness. “It’s the most disgusting show I’ve ever worked on,” he laughs. “There have been a lot of bodily fluids – inevitably, given where it’s set. Have you got to the vomiting episode?”
Teasers has not, and isn’t greatly looking forward to it. Adapted by Adam Kay from his memoir of this same name, the seven-part series follows Whishaw as ‘Adam’, a fictionalised version of the real-life doctor-turnedauthor who, in 2006, was also an acting registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology (aka “brats and twats”) at a London hospital. Exposing the insane working weeks and desperate compromises in personal lives, the series is humbling, horrifying, darkly funny and more timely than ever after two years of a pandemic.
Seeing his fictional alter ego on screen has also been a curious experience for its creator. “It’s definitely weird,” says Kay. “But I’ve made it a lot easier by casting someone extremely handsome who’s also a national treasure. When he agreed
to do the show, I yelped so loud that it set the dog off.”
TIGTH is unflinching when it comes to both the physical and emotional toll of Adam’s travails, with his surroundings in scarcely better shape. Filming took place in east London, at a former art college repurposed as a labour ward amid astounding attention to detail, from water stains on the ceiling to layer upon layer of posters on walls. The structural cracks reflect the systemic ones: with the NHS again under incredible strain, Kay hopes it will act as a love letter to those still working for the institution where he spent so many years.
“The NHS is our greatest achievement as a civilisation,” he says. “A million-and-a-half people go far beyond the call of duty to keep the rest of us on the road. It’s a pure and amazing thing, but at no point do I pretend that it’s something that it’s not: the stress it puts people under, the sad stuff along the way. Something bizarre or stupid or disgusting happens that you’re talking about at dinner parties for years, then a patient comes where you can’t find their baby’s heartbeat. The job involves some extraordinary gear shifts.”
“It’s extraordinary that anything goes well at all,” marvels Whishaw. “There’s so much room for human error. But this definitely made me aware of the inevitable fallibility and humanity of these people, alongside their tireless bravery. I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to tell this story.”
‘The NHS is our greatest achievement as a civilisation’ ADAM KAY
THIS IS GOING TO HURT STARTS ON BBC ONE AND IPLAYER THIS MONTH.