Unicorn Theatre
Playing until 22nd February 2025 then a national tour until June 2025
Photo credit: Ali Wright
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Suffering from a serious heart condition, Cameron (Immanuel Yeboah) yearns to have a normal life where he could play with his friends. When the opportunity for a heart transplant comes along, he jumps at the opportunity even though it is a pig heart that he’ll receive.
This is a sensitive story, delicately expressing the unease and discomfort Cameron experiences as the world tiptoes around him as if he would shatter from the slightest touch or exertion. Yeboah portrays a funny, intelligent and cheeky Cameron, who sometimes lives in his own fantasy as he pictures a different life. This and the behaviour of his classmates compel the audience into understanding why he accepted the offer of a pig heart transplantation so quickly. Playing Cameron’s mother, Cathy, Christine During is the personification of concern and the only opposition to the procedure, creating a stark contrast to Cameron’s father.
While the story is nuanced with the ending that features a dialogue between Cameron and his Nan (Chia Phoenix) as a particularly powerful and emotional scene, the script is ambitious in the number of themes that it tries to cover and as a result, areas such as research ethics and how Cameron handles his newfound fame are under developed.
The set designed by Paul Wills is incredible, creating a cardiovascular system on stage. With LED cables connected to a central loudspeaker, the heartbeat and the blood pulsating through the vessels are unmistakable.
To me, one of the most jarring parts of the play is the nonchalant take on the pig heart transplantation itself. It was shocking that the scientist who proposed this study openly admitted that he only had one successful transplantation in an animal model so far. The material in this part of the play could have been devastating as the family begin to understand the risks involved and that Cameron may not survive the surgery. Instead, this was played out like a comedy sequence, making it difficult to swallow.
It is also questionable as to whether a procedure with such a low success rate would make it past the ethics committee in the first place! Even assuming that it does, this would not have been allowed without some extensive discussions of the risks involved, signifying neglect and in my opinion, malpractice, by Dr Bryce (Tré Medley). Maybe this is one of the reasons that the animal rights activists and the press are both hot on his tail.
Pig Heart Boy explores the ethics on human experimentation and the relationship dynamics between Cameron and his family, and the pressure they are exposed to from the press and animal rights activists as a result of the procedure. It is an in-depth and nuanced story, highlighting one’s mortality and yearnings to live a normal life. However, the story is pulled in too many directions, with confusions over when it wants to be funny or serious. the scientists and researchers are portrayed in poor taste and not a fair reflection of these professions.
Creatives
Based on the novel by Malorie Blackman
Adapted by Winsome Pinnock
Director: Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu
Designer: Paul Wills
Lighting Designer: Andrew Exeter
Sound Designer and Composer: XANA
Movement Director: DK Fashola
Video Designer: Jack Baxter
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