Crowded Room, in association with Park Theatre, presents Outpatient, an autobiographical dark comedy written by Harriet Madeley and directed by Madelaine Moore. The production will run at Park Theatre’s Park90 from 20 May to 7 June, with a press night on Thursday, 22 May at 7pm.
Inspired by Harriet Madeley’s own experiences with a life-changing diagnosis, Outpatient delves into the fragility of the human body and our responses to the prospect of death. The solo show follows Olive, a self-obsessed entertainment journalist who, while attempting to make a name for herself by interviewing dying people, discovers she is living on borrowed time. The play combines wry comedy and relentless energy to explore themes of freedom, consequence, and the human tendency to feel invincible.
Outpatient premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2024, where it won Summerhall’s Lustrum Award for Unforgettable Theatre. A documentary about the making of Outpatient will be released on BBC Radio 4 under its ‘Illuminated’ strand later in 2025.
Harriet Madeley, the writer and performer, shared, “It took me years to work up the courage to write Outpatient, and it’s exhilarating to share it with the world. Based closely on my experience of being diagnosed with PSC (Google it—or as my doctor said, ‘Don’t Google it; there’s nothing you can do about it’), I hope the show makes audiences laugh, moves them, and, in reminding them of their mortality, leaves them feeling more alive. I wanted to challenge stereotypes around people with life-threatening illness—not everyone is a brave warrior; some (like me) might just be having a disaster. The idea stemmed from a desire to talk about illness and mortality honestly.”
Crowded Room, led by Mark Knightley and Harriet Madeley, is known for creating theatre that sparks conversation and brings people together. Their previous productions include The Listening Room, 2030, Sentinels, Echoes, La Lucha, The Colours, and EDITH.
Park Theatre, located in Finsbury Park, is renowned for its exceptional productions and has hosted numerous successful transfers to the West End and National Theatre. The venue features two performance spaces: Park200 for larger productions and Park90 for emerging artists.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
