Lifeline

Southwark Playhouse Elephant, London- 28th March-2nd May 2026

Signature Theatre, New York - 28th August - 29th September 2024

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Writer: Becky Hope-Palmer

Music and lyrics: Robin Hiley

Musical Director: Neil Metcalfe

Movement Director: Leanne Pinder

Assistant Director: Lydia Scott Johnson

Assistant Musical Director: Becky Chalmers

Producer: Charades

Set Design: Abbey Clarke

Costume Design: Alice McNicholas

Wardrobe: Leanne Reid

Stage Manager: Heather Smith

Assistant Stage Manger: Meg Le Marchant

Lighting Design: Matthew Craigen 

Sound Design: Paul Smith

Sound Number 2- Dylan Custance

Medical Consultancy: Dame Sally Davies, Dr Meghan Perry

Supported by the CDC Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation

Images: Charlie Flint Photography

 

ARTICLES

'a foot stomping, folk infused Scottish musical so influential they've gone on to fill the halls of the United Nations General Assembly'- The Guardian

'How often can a musical deliver a lifesaving message to society?'- The New York Times 

'Just what the doctor ordered' - Forbes Magazine

'A stark warning about the greatest threat to humanity you have never heard of'- The Times 

'celebrates the real life heroes of medicine and science' - CBS News

'a truly unique approach to live theatre'- NBC News

​'leaves the audience with a stark impression of what we take for granted- and what we have to lose'- Scientific American

'raises awareness and inspires action'- Nature Medicine 

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REVIEWS

★★★★★ 'more than a musical... it highlights the dangers of misusing medication and sheds light on the exhausting, often frustrating reality faced by those in the medical profession' - The Theatre Flyer

★★★★★ 'the applause is deafening...a prime example of a new British musical' - West End Best Friend

★★★★★- 'a call to arms... an artistically stunning tribute to life'- Thespian Meg

★★★★★- 'stunningly poignant... Alex Howarth's direction is incredibly effective'- Ovation Radio

★★★★- 'Direction by Alex Howarth succeeds in marshalling the leading players plus the rotating cast of health professionals... I was, unprofessionally, in tears, as I had been at many other moments in the musical'- Musical Theatre Review

★★★★ 'intimate and sweeping, educational yet deeply human'- Adventures In Theatreland

★★★★ 'rich with emotion, sincerity and purpose... I strongly urge audiences to see it'- Theatre and Tonic

★★★★ 'an epic experience that will appeal to all of us...a must see' - Everything Theatre

★★★★ 'an urgent wake up call... director Alex Howarth does a remarkable job of wrangling his actors as well as the revolving cast of medical professionals'- The Peg

★★★★ 'a well cared for and creative musical' - Upstage Downstage Pod

★★★★ 'a staggering feat....deeply moving...Alex Howarth's work is particularly impressive, allowing both timelines to occupy the stage in moments of theatrical ingenuity'- Alex Roy Theatre

'life affirming, hopeful and inspiring'- Step Behind The Stage

'Alex Howarth's slick direction ensures that clarity is maintained, and that Hiley's emotive score is given the showcase it so richly deserves'- The Stage 

'truly glorious... the staging is frequently clever, making excellent use of the space to bridge the decades'- Red Bus Londinium 

'Direction by Alex Howarth provides a steady guiding hand, ensuring that the dual timelines remain coherent and visually distinct... a thoughtful approach to staging that supports the material'- All That Dazzles

'it goes at a cracking pace thanks to Alex Howarth's direction...genuinely powerful'- The Reviews Hub

'a fantastic piece of musical theatre, with beautiful direction'- The London Life

'some of the best singing outside the West End (or even in it)  -an unusual thoughtful and deeply committed musical that will run far beyond Elephant and Castle' -The Arts Desk

'Lifeline is the frontline of the fight... here to make the world a better place' - South London Community Matters

​'incredibly moving- an amazing tribute to those on the frontline of healthcare'- A Young(ish) Perspective

'exactly what theatre and the arts is here for' - Musical Manda

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Telling the stories of Alexander Fleming and a doctor in 2025 trying to save the life of a patient and with an original Scottish folk score, it is supported by major figures in the world of medicine including Dame Sally Davies, the UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance.  The New York run was seen by public figures including Chelsea Clinton and Benedict Cumberbatch. 

 

A section of the show was performed at the United Nations as part of the High Level Meeting on AMR, making Alex the first director in history to have his work performed there, and marking only the second time live music has been performed there after Beyonce. 

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Uniquely, the musical combines a professional cast of actors with a chorus of scientists and healthcare professionals local to each city it performs in. This allows it not only to connect with local people and communities but also to give voice to and perform alongside people who understand the issue of AMR and work with it in their everyday lives.

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The concept album was recorded with Centre Stage Records, featuring Broadway performers Aaron Lazar, Arielle Jacobs, Jay Armstrong Johnson and Mia Gerachis.  

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The show is supported by the CDC Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation.

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WHAT IS AMR? 

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Five million people a year die from illness linked to antibiotic resistance. It just might be the biggest threat to humanity you have never heard of.

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Antibiotics are drugs used to treat infections caused by bacteria and only bacteria. In the past eighty years they have saved millions of lives. Antibiotic resistance, a type of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), is a natural process allowing bacteria to evolve defenses that renders our drugs less effective. If we used antibiotics sensibly, only when we really needed them, we might have enough time to halt the spread of resistance through the population and develop new drugs to fight infection. 

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Unfortunately, we overuse antibiotics to treat infections that might improve by themselves, that are caused by viruses, and we even use them to fatten animals raised in the meat industry. This overuse has led to the creation of superbugs, bacteria that are resistant to most or all of the antibiotics we throw at them. These resistant bacteria are now linked to about 5 million deaths globally every year. Without urgent action, this number is only going to rise.