Life is Swell

Life is Swell was an Interactive Theatre performance about gout, brought to you by students from Singapore Polytechnic in collaboration with Sengkang General Hospital. The programme aims to encourage participants to challenge their own understanding of gout.

​

Life is Swell follows the journey of Thomas, a young man in his late 20s as he discovers that he suffers from gout. Upon receiving the life-changing news, Thomas is forced to come to terms with the condition and its demands. His encounters with others throughout his time spent in the hospital changes the way he views himself and his health. Over the course of 4 months, the team researched on the condition, conducted interviews with gout patients in Singapore and worked with Sengkang General Hospital closely to develop Life is Swell.

​

Life is Swell began with an informative and interactive exhibition on gout. It consisted of gout pain simulators, informational posters and quotes from gout patients in Singapore. It was followed by the interactive theatre performance where audience members were enrolled as medical students on their internship. The duration of the interactive theatre performance involved them shadowing healthcare professionals such as nurses and doctors. They also took on the role of observing patients in the Accident & Emergency department of the hospital, as well as patient consultations. There were several junctures where audience members could interact with patients, nurses and doctors, just like a real medical student. The programme also included a post-show dialogue by a rheumatologist on the condition and management of gout.

In essence, with the aid of interactive elements, the participants’ understanding of gout were challenged as Life is Swell introduced different perceptions surrounding the issue of gout.