There was no announcement at the start. No one planned a proposal or distributed a memo. The dull rhythm of a long shift was interrupted by an impromptu suggestion: “We could make a musical.”
The A&E break room in Birmingham was not designed with creativity in mind. Scuffed chairs, pale walls, and flickering lights didn’t inspire much. However, theater gained traction in the space between crisis calls and tea rounds.
| Item | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | A&E Department, Birmingham (UK) |
| Timeframe | Post-COVID NHS morale initiatives (approx. 2024–2025) |
| Nature of Event | Staff-led musical filmed in hospital break room |
| Motivation | To boost morale, express creative energy, and foster team unity |
| Wider Context | NHS staff pressures, burnout, and rise in arts-based staff wellbeing efforts |
| Public Reference | Inspired by NHS morale-boosting videos & social media theatre content |
| External Link | https://www.swbh.nhs.uk/news |
Someone softly hummed the first few lines of Defying Gravity after a hard Friday. Another coworker joined in. The rhythmic beat of a vending machine refilling was accompanied by another clap. Something ignited right away—a mutual jest that evolved into a practice.
They were writing spoof lyrics on the back of prescription forms by the next week. As their unwilling leader, a borrowed CPR dummy took center stage. Between midnight dinner breaks and back-to-back codes, filming got underway. A microphone was made out of an old IV stand.
There were no lofty goals for the musical. It lacked polish and a script. Nevertheless, it was exquisitely disorganized, revealing a crew that was overworked but nevertheless incredibly connected. The camaraderie was evident despite the spontaneous dancing and unpolished humor.
According to one nurse, it was “necessary nonsense” that got them through what seemed like an especially harsh winter. Another person claimed that it helped them recall their initial motivation for becoming a nurse.
They didn’t think it would reverberate past their floor. However, after it was shared among a private staff group, other hospitals added their own musical responses instead of criticism. A mock-operatic ode to broken pagers was issued by Wolverhampton. Heartlands then performed a tap-dancing homage to hand sanitizer.
I saw a rough cut of their last scene on a very peaceful night shift. Before a poem about hope, put to a reused phrase from Les Mis, landed in a manner I hadn’t expected, a consultant lip-syncing in a harsh break-room didn’t seem poetic.
It was a remarkable gesture of self-preservation for a team under stress. It provided them with a brief platform where they were in charge and not overpowered, recreating reality in a way that was harmonious and humorous.
Subtle perseverance turned the musical into a dialogue. Not about rules or regulations, but about surviving, sticking together, and choosing happiness. A subdued uprising disguised as theater.
It was completed by the time the Trust became aware of it. Approval was not required. The act was sufficient in and of itself.
NHS executives have begun to see these artistic endeavors as more than just diversion in recent months. Art initiatives led by staff members have been very effective in reducing burnout and reviving team chemistry.
It turns out that when spreadsheets are unable to help personnel handle stress, storytelling can. They make the unfathomable understandable via play and satire.
There was no formal funding for any of this. However, the results—a markedly enhanced sense of connectedness and morale—are now being subtly noticed throughout the system.
On the basis of this upsurge in artistic activity, certain Trusts are testing arts-in-health projects. A&E musicals, training materials with a theatrical theme, and even spontaneous comedic performances during handover.
Inside jokes and songs that have been cited continue to carry on the musical back in Birmingham. Only those in need have access to the unlisted video. And maybe that’s what gives it power.
It was written for the folks who wrote it in between resuscitation calls, not for spectators or headlines. An indication that creativity endures despite fluorescent lighting and tired eyes.
When the room becomes too quiet, someone continues to hum a few bars.
Not to amuse, but to keep in mind.
