Health Plays
The dramatic way to improve safety and wellbeing for all in healthcare
Courageous conversations, diverse perspectives and new insights
Hush Foundation’s health plays tackle the biggest issues in the culture of health care today – bullying, communication and patient safety.
Written by award-winning playwright, Alan Hopgood AM. Hush Health Plays have been performed all over Australia and internationally to thousands of people.
Hush Healthcare Plays encourage all those who engage in our health system to examine the behaviours, assumptions and habits that can inhibit patient safety and staff wellbeing.
Vale Alan "Hoppy" Hopgood AM (1934 - 2022)
A message from the Hush Foundation Chair and Founder, Professor Catherine Crock AM.
“Our hearts are heavy at news of the loss of a dear friend of ours. Vale Alan Hopgood AM.
His extraordinary contribution through the three plays he wrote and performed with us to over 200 healthcare audiences has been transformative.
It has been a privilege to have Alan as our Hush patron. We will be forever grateful for his unwavering support of Hush and the wisdom he imparted. Transforming healthcare culture with kindness and the arts has been our shared dream.
Our thoughts are with Gay and the family in this time, knowing this remarkable and gifted man is very much loved, and knowing his collection of creative works, his legacy, live on. We’ll miss you very much, Hoppy.”
Written by renowned Australian playwright, Alan Hopgood AM, the three dramatic Hush Plays, Hear Me, Do You Know Me? and What Matters tackle the biggest issues in the culture of health care today - bullying, communication and better patient outcomes.
Performed by recognised and award-winning Australian actors, the plays use real stories and case studies to highlight the issues faced by those working in health care, and the patients and families of those accessing it.
To attend a performance or for booking enquiries please contact [email protected].
Two of our healthcare plays, 'Hear Me' and 'What Matters', written by renowned playwright Alan Hopgood AM, are now available as audio plays which can be listened to at a time and place that suits you best.
These plays can be licensed for use for a whole year, and are a fantastic way to start important discussions within your teams and the broader healthcare workforce.
For more information about these audio plays, please email: [email protected]
"Research tells us that experiential learning is a powerful and effective tool for professional development. Alan Hopgood AM, has spent 20 years developing and delivering plays which are thought-provoking and provide audiences with the opportunity to explore challenging issues, providing exceptional insights. And they do it, crystallising real life stories, using a subtle and effective blending of challenging issues and comedy."
- Sharee Johnson, Registered Psychologist, Executive Coach, SKJ Consulting.
'Do You Know Me?' tackles the emotive and complex issues associated with caring for our older community members.
This provocative play sensitively portrays end of life care scenarios and encourages improved communication between older people and the staff who care for them, for a kinder, patient-centred approach to aged care.
'What Matters' most in health care – for patients, doctors, staff, cleaners, family, everyone – is kindness!
Based on true stories, this Hush play shows how acts of kindness can have the most surprising outcomes.
And it’s funny.
What Matters is written by Alan Hopgood AM and
Dr Catherine Crock AM.
'Hear Me' is a powerful and innovative play that examines all the complex issues that arise when things go wrong in health care.
'Hear Me' deals with the aftermath of a young patient’s death from the perspective of the patient’s mother, the CEO, the supervising doctor and his colleague.
Followed by a facilitated discussion to examine the potential for improving the quality and safety of health care through communication, partnerships between patients, families and health professionals and staff culture.
Written by Alan Hopgood in collaboration with Dr Catherine Crock and Prof Rick Idema and others from the Australian Institute for Patient and Family Centred Care.
Hush thanks Mercy Health for their support
in developing the ‘Do You Know Me’ play.
