Hold the Line Review

Hold the Line Review

30th Jul – 25th Aug 2025

A play which explores the internal conflicts within the NHS and highlights the damaging impact on front-line workers. 

In the intimate setting of a Pleasance bunker, an almost full house files in and sits to see a sparse stage with a white desk and chair.  Enter Gary, the hero of the piece, clad in his NHS standard issue green T-shirt. He sits in a reserved seat in the front row and speaks directly to us.  He is warm, genuine and likeable.  We learn that Gary has moved down to London from the North East and taken a job as an NHS call handler, dealing with 111 callers with varied and complex needs.  

“This is an earnest and thought-provoking play”

The NHS has always been the subject of controversy, garnering the support of the nation during the dark days of Covid 19, but often tarnished with poor experiences of patients and the unacceptable working conditions of its medical practitioners.  We feel for the front-line workers who commit their careers and make huge life sacrifices to care for the public, but despise the bureaucracy.  We often give praise or point the finger of blame but who are we really directing our emotional responses to?  

Hold the Line highlights the divide between front-line workers and management, and writer Sam Macgregor, has crafted this work from personal experience to demonstrate the immense pressures put on the staff who do their best to save lives and the fatal consequences when things go wrong.  Once again, that blame culture rears its ugly head and fingers are pointed rather than looking at the core issue which is why are these things happening? 

This is an earnest and thought-provoking play that wrestles with themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the moral complexities of those caught between duty and conscience. The production has a strong central premise, but dips in places with repetitive sequences and drawn-out scenes which lack impact and fail to move the story on.  The cast of two deliver committed performances, and there are moments of real emotional weight that land effectively.  The play ends on a high as we see just how much of an impact a caring attitude has.  Gary’s determination to do a good job despite the shackles of increased work pressure, shorter breaks and statistic-based demands, shines through and he really does make a difference.  

Hold the Line is a solid piece of theatre that raises important questions and sparks discussion.  It doesn’t quite land in places but if you’re at the festival this summer and are interested in politically charged drama, it is worth a watch. 

Stephen Cambridge

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