Caring for the sick is an ancient profession but how much do we really know about being a nurse?
Brisbane performer Lisa Smith is taking us out of traditional theatres and into the theatrical world of the hospital for a peek into the lives of nurses and midwives.
Performing as part of the Anywhere Theatre Festival in Brisbane and Parramatta, Ms Smith's one-woman comedy show, The Performing Nurse, is based on decades of first-hand experience.
"I've been a registered nurse and midwife for more than 20 years and there's rarely a dull moment in those professions," Ms Smith said.
"I've used my experiences to create a suite of characters that use satire, song, memoir and live projection to explore the narrative of the nurse.
"The show raises awareness of the plight of nurses and midwives everywhere - the exhausting working conditions, the relative value society places on the profession, the public's expectations of nurses, the cultural significance and influences.
"It's a journey into the mind and world of the female nurse."
Ms Smith has a history of creating theatrical connections between nursing and the arts.
Last year she piloted an innovative project using cutting-edge theatre techniques to explore and deliver sexual health education to Brisbane teenagers.
The Performing Nurse forms the basis of Ms Smith's current Creative Industries - Master of Arts studies at QUT.
With a performing arts degree from QUT already under her belt, Ms Smith has built an accomplished creative career in tandem with her healthcare career.
"I often joke about 'doing the double shift'," Ms Smith said.
"My masters focuses on autoethnography, which is exploring one's personal experiences and connecting that personal story to broader cultural, political and social understanding.
"That's why so much of the show is based on my own work history. I run my experiences through a comedy lens and use humour to explore the stereotype of the nurse and her marginality.
"I'm very much a character comedienne - my show's humour helps us not only to laugh but to weave through the cultural critique of the nursing world.
"I introduced The Performing Nurse to 30 nurses last year and, more than anything, it showed the value of nurses seeing themselves and their profession validated in the wider community.
"We had some great discussions afterwards and a lot of laughter - and laughter is healing, after all.
"My plan is to use my one-woman show with nurses in the future. In the past I've run singing workshops for midwives, which were very successful."
The Performing Nurse runs:
•7-9 May at 9 Burchell St, Carina, in a funky 1960s home owned by Australian Modern Designs
•14-15 May at Brislington Nurse Museum, Parramatta's oldest dwelling, corner of George & Marsden streets
Visit The Performing Nurse Facebook page.
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Media contact
Kate Haggman, QUT Media, 07 3138 0358, kate.haggman@qut.edu.au
After hours Rose Trapnell, QUT Media team leader, 0407 585 901.
