Courageous conversations. Diverse perspectives. New insights. Hush Health Plays tackle the culture issues that matter most: bullying, communication and patient safety.
For over two decades the Foundation has pioneered the use of creative tools including music, theatre for education, and literature designed to effect change. Hush are industry leaders using kindness and the arts to transform healthcare systems. Hush Health Plays are are creative, engaging, impactful and different and have been performed over 250 times to thousands of healthcare staff, patients and families around Australia.
Hosting a Hush health play is simple and accessible. Live plays can be performed in a lunch time, in a staff room, meeting room, public space with minimal staging and props. Radio and Video plays can be offered in short amounts of time as part of existing meetings, rounds and gatherings. The plays are designed to help health and care organisations to meet their commitments and obligations to staff health and safety and patient safety and experience.
Written by award-winning playwright Alan Hopgood AM, Hush Health Plays have been performed more than 180 times across healthcare settings around the world – provoking safer conversations and shared standards.
Our health plays are a unique, cost-effective, impactful education and engagement opportunity for large, mixed and diverse groups of staff and consumers/community
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.
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 where data and feedback is collected from attendees and reported back to the organisation / team.
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’ follows the aftermath of a young patient’s death through the voices of the mother, CEO, and doctors. A facilitated discussion explores how stronger communication, partnerships, and culture can improve healthcare quality and safety.
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.
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.
Hush thanks Mercy Health for their support in developing the ‘Do You Know Me’ play.
The Hush health plays: Hear Me; Do You Know Me? and What Matters? Are available for purchase / delivery in the following formats:
Run-time guide: ~40–60 minute performance + 30 minute debrief (confirm on booking)
We require roughly a 2-month leadtime to perform the plays in person. We regularly deliver nationwide and can align multi-site tours to reduce costs. International engagements are possible; timelines depend on visas, freight, and cast availability. Share your target month and audience size via the enquiry form, and we’ll propose formats, dates, and a run sheet.
Yes. Alongside live performances, you can license audio versions (Hear Me and What Matters) for 12 months to support shift-friendly education. We also offer short-film vignettes and a script-use licence (12 months) so you can engage local actors. Licences include facilitation notes, discussion prompts, and guidance on running short team sessions.
We keep it simple. A 6×4 m playing area, house lights or a basic warm wash, and a PA with two microphones (handhelds or lapels) usually suffice. Add a projector/screen only if you want slides for opening/closing. Ideal room set-up is cabaret or theatre style with a clear sightline and a quiet adjacent space for debrief/opt-out. If your venue lacks AV, we can bring a compact kit (by arrangement). A typical session runs 60–90 minutes, including debrief.
You can add a pre/post 3-question pulse (psychological safety, communication, “what we’ll do differently”) plus a 30-day follow-up to capture changes in practice. We provide a short, de-identified summary you can share with leadership. To sustain change, bundle the play with Kindness in Action (micro-learning team modules) or a Narrative Workshop for deeper reflection.
The Hush Foundation
PO Box 1385
Camberwell, VIC, 3124
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Incorporating the Australian Institute of Patient and Family Centred Care. To read more about our merger, please CLICK HERE.
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