My Life with Dr Mark Doyle: I got over stage fright through a hospital theatre group

I would often have dealings with other clinical directors, one of them happened to be in the plays with me.

UHW emergency medicine consultnant Dr Mark Doyle in costume for ‘Holy God Ivarr The Boneless is Comin’ Up The Suir’. Pictures: Patrick Browne

As the head of University Hospital Waterford’s emergency department, I had no hesitation addressing packed auditoriums or presenting talks and classes. The thought of standing up on a stage to act and sing, on the other hand, terrified me.

That all changed in 2012 when Bridie Hodge approached me to join the University Hospital Waterford Theatre Group. She was a midwife but devoted much of her spare time to directing and penning comedic productions for this theatrical and musical comedy troupe.

One of these offerings was titled ‘Pride and Prejudice… and whatever you’re having yourself’. The role might have been a non-speaking one, but this didn’t detract from my stage fright. While I was able to avoid any lines that year, I did sing as part of a group. The performance was inspired by a scene from the film Anger Management, where Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson sing I Feel Pretty. Our interpretation involved a bunch of men singing this, including a surgeon who had no qualms about prancing across the stage in a tutu.

There was a realisation among us that this was more beneficial than harmful. For me, the notion of protecting your image is unrealistic. Initiatives like this are really positive because they shed light on the humanity of people in authority and allow the public to see a different side to them. Over the years, we have had radiologists, anaesthetists, surgeons, junior doctors, nurses, and midwives, among other medical professionals performing. There have even been notable characters from outside of the hospital, including a Garda chief superintendent who gave a memorable performance as Superman. Many will remember him running through the audience, complete with flowing cape.

In 2014, we did ‘The Full Irish Monty’, but I didn’t have the confidence to strip off for that one. I really came into my own in 2017 when I had the opportunity to play Scrooge in our production of ‘Christmas on Craggy Island’. I was very uncomfortable performing to begin with, but I ended up loving it. My singing was initially encouraged and supported by our then musical director Anne Cody, who apart from being an occupational health nurse in the hospital, also happens to be a wonderful musician.

Over the years, I have sang solo and performed duets, which was a huge milestone in my personal development experience.

For me, it was an eye-opener and still is. Even as a young person, I had no background in theatre but I gradually built up more confidence and took on more prominent roles. Bridie is persuasive but doesn’t push you too hard, giving you the chance to grow and develop at your own pace.

The pastime was in complete contrast to my work. The emergency department is like the centre of a web where there are links to all other elements of the health service. You are dealing with ambulances coming in, GP referrals, and meeting with various departments in the hospital. There are a lot of interactions and one of the things I love about the career is the variety.

While I enjoy my job very much, it’s also great to be able to let it all go at rehearsals. Sometimes we have more fun practising than at the shows themselves.

The benefits to being involved in a group like this were obvious from the start. Allowing people a glimpse into another side of me offered a release from the tensions of working in that environment. It’s particularly beneficial to have others in the trenches with you.

Dr Mark Doyle: My pastime in theatre is in complete contrast to my emergency department work

I was clinical director of that section of the hospital for a while and would often have dealings with other clinical directors. One of them happened to be in the plays with me. The effect this had on our day-to-day business was immense because it cut through all the pretence and the posturing. It’s important to have an outlet because you can get a bit overwhelmed at times. The usual issues at work, such as the conversations with the health service, can be frustrating. Stress can lead to burnout which can be a real problem, making these kind of pastimes all the more crucial. If you want to keep going in a job like this, you have to be able to protect yourself.

What’s great about the theatre group is the support it has garnered from family. Spouses and partners have also been heavily involved over the years.

I’m still involved to this day. However, part of the problem with these things is that they can be very dependent on one person, in this case Bridie, to drive them. The difficulty is that when they pull out, things can fall apart quickly. I suspect a group like this is quite unique across the country. It would be lovely to think it could continue. We have new doctors and new juniors getting involved, providing us with a solid footing. Maybe other hospitals could consider it too, if only to experience the same level of joy theatre has offered us over the years.