The Paramedics was inspired by an innovative idea by director James Burgess, who was a paramedic until five years ago. Turning to the world of entertainment and using three actors, Burgess collaborated with them to create something that at its heart was authentic, but strong enough to put first aid and comedy on the same stage.
perfect for both comedy lovers and people in the medical profession
The Paramedics follows a 'dynamic' duo called Chris (Jack Lumb) and Tiff (Ella Baulcomb), who are 'not seeking fame' (despite being on a recent TV documentary), but taking what they know about first aid to the masses with the aid of a medical actor called Paul (Daniel Carlin) to get people up to speed when it comes to injury, childbirth and more. Under Burgess' direction, the energy between all three actors was not only electric, but every pun, joke and deadpan reaction was spot on. The laughs had whenever things went wrong - such as Paul having to demonstrate giving birth on stage - was high and the majority of the time ended up with the audience rolling in the aisles. The icing on the cake was audience interaction in the form of a training video in which we had to give the answers in multiple choice. How chaotic did it get? You have to see it to believe it!
Lumb and Baulcomb had an electric connection that was exhilarating to watch as each stage of the presentation evolved. Their physicality and improvisation skills when going off-script were so strong that you never wanted the experience to end. Each delivery was so fast, direct and cheeky that they became likeable even if chaos did ensue.
As for Carlin, he played two characters. Paul, the medical actor, trying to get his career back and a victim who was saved from a fire by Chris and Tiff. As Paul, he exuded confidence and was not afraid to take on many guises - including doing part of the famous Oh that this too too solid flesh speech from Shakespeare's Hamlet using a doll's head to represent Yorick. By doing this, he took his Paul character to another level in order to fully redeem himself as a performer. Later, when he played the fire victim, his skilful ability to completely change accent and character to tell his story was noted and again, entertaining with the right amount of drama involved.
The combination of these skilled actors and director created a show that was perfect for both comedy lovers and people in the medical profession.
