PET Director, Sarah Norcross, enjoyed a night at the theatre when she went to see a production of 'Hey, Baby'. The play which was about infertility was written by and starred Emma Hemingford.
Based on research carried out by Dr Giuli Cavaliere, the play followed the lives of two sisters as one, Anna, struggled with infertility, and the other, played by Hemingford, did not. This fast-paced drama packed in many of the issues people with infertility face - chemical pregnancies, NHS funding, sourcing a sperm donor and lots more. However, it was the raw emotion expressed by Florence Hall in the role of Anna which gave the play its real intensity.
The sisters' male partners, played by Jack Wilkinson and Michael Workéyè, like the audience, bore the brunt of the sisters' emotions.
The play was followed by a panel discussion in which Julia Chain (HFEA), fertility specialists at UCLH Ephia Yasmin and Stuart Lavery, and Sarah Norcross were asked questions by Dr Cavaliere and the audience.
The questions ranged from what patients can reasonably expect from fertility care, how decisions about treatment are made, where the system works well, and where there is room for change.
Unfortunately, 'Hey, Baby' was only on for three nights. We hope that there will be opportunities for this excellent production to be seen by a wider audience.
Photo courtesy of Mariano Gobbi @mamoair