In Clover

Blurb

Two men with nothing in common but a terminal illness and an adjacent bed. MICKEY is in his 60’s and old school South East London, QUENTIN is in his 20’s, and more Oxbridge than Gospel Oak. MICKEY doesn’t know when to shut up, QUENTIN is withdrawn and silent. An unlikely friendship forms on Clover Ward but what’s the terrible secret that ensures a dying man receives no visitors? MICKEY is determined to find out before succumbing to the ghostly nurse promising him a hot shot.

Synopsis

IN CLOVER is set in a London hospital ward and tells the darkly comic tale of two terminally ill men who forge an unlikely and very powerful friendship, then form a suicide pact.

MICKEY is a noisy character who makes sure he knows everyone’s business and that everyone knows his opinion. His positive attitude and bristling sense of humour even at death’s door, makes him popular with the staff at St Gerald’s. One day a new patient is wheeled in, a young man, QUENTIN who is silent and withdrawn. MICKEY is determined to shake him from his mute state and pelts him with pellet like NHS peas until he finally gets a reaction.

We discover QUENTIN has torn his family apart following a disastrous and complex affair with his father’s mistress. Meanwhile MICKEY confides his belief that he is a major (and increasing) hassle to his son whose wife is heavily pregnant. He dreams of a trip to Dignideath and an erotically induced exit so that his son will no longer have the burden of care. We also get to know a third patient, MURPH who quotes Shakespeare, bares his backside frequently and pines for his dead wife Martha.

MURPH has a teddy bear attached to his headboard and is being bullied by the AGENCY NURSE. The overworked and angelic NURSE JOHNSON tries to keep morale high on the ward and is aided by DOCTOR RILEY who MICKEY believes might be persuaded to turn his hand to less than merciful euthanasia (as long as QUENTIN can be coached as to how to irritate him enough).

As the play progresses so the men get physically weaker, the AGENCY NURSE ever crueller and the birth of MICKEY’s grandson ever closer. Might family reconciliation be possible for QUENTIN, might MICKEY live to see his grandson and might justice for MURPH be served in the most unlikeliest manner?