Lyceum

Tonight we went to see the double Olivier and Tony award-winning West End and Broadway hit show "Girl From The North Country" at Sheffield's Lyceum Theatre. Our daughter Frances had given me the tickets as a birthday gift last October.

Created by celebrated playwright Conor McPherson, the show boldly reimagines some of the legendary songs of the great Bob Dylan - weaving them into an emotionally touching and universal story about family and love, hailed by "The Observer" as the "No.1 theatre show of the year".

It’s 1934 in the heartland of America - Duluth in fact -and there we meet a group of wayward souls who cross paths in a time-weathered guesthouse. Arriving at a turning point in their lives, they realise nothing is quite what it seems. But as they search for a future, and sanctuary from the past, they find themselves facing challenging truths about the present.

The singers were all very competent and it was refreshing to hear stylish re-interpretations of some of Dylan's most noteworthy songs including "Forever Young", "I Want You" and "Idiot Wind". Surprisingly, the plaintive song "Girl From The North Country"  which appeared on the album "Nashville Skyline" did not feature. in the musical. I was slightly disappointed about that.

We both enjoyed it but were not truly knocked out as we were two weeks ago when we  went into town to see "Standing At The Sky's Edge" in The Crucible.  After the show we made a quick exit through a side door and then jumped straight on a Number 82 bus.  Back at Banner Cross, we even had time to nip into "The Itchy Pig"  for post-theatre drinks.

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Questions

 What is on your heart?

Last thing you cooked?

Last person who made you happy?

Last thing you bought?

Last person you prayed for?  If you don’t want to answer that’s okay. 

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A Memory

“ John can you sort out the visitors for your patient ? we have more requesting to come in”

So asked one of the support workers on Intensive Care when I was at my busiest time.

My patient was dying and we as a team were withdrawing treatment from him which meant that extra ventilatory support and meds keeping his blood pressure elevated would be discontinued after a long discussion with family. 

The patient’s family was with him but as the patient was a popular man, extended family and friends kept turning up at the door. At these times the next of kin would organise which people would be able to visit and who wouldn’t and it was my job to sensitively put those wishes into practice.

I entered our small sitting area outside the ICU and fielded requests to come in.

I had almost finished when a man in his sixties approached and said he was an old friend of my patient.

He had been told earlier of the present dire situation the patient was in and was clutching a small sunflower in both hands. He had been crying.

I know visiting is only for family” he said quietly “ But could you give him this ?”  

He gave me the sunflower

I said I would even though it was against policy to accept flowers and as the man nodded a tearful thank you he almost stumbled through the automatic door back into the hospital corridor.

Something made me follow him and as he caught his breath. I asked him if he was alright 

He pointed back to intensive care

“ He was my sunshine” the visitor said crying and he reached out to hold my hand for a moment

“He was always my sunshine” 

His words and his grief has always stuck with me even until now, some fifteen years later

And I was glad to have been able to place the sunflower next to that patient 

As I had been requested to

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