DocDoc is a new theatrical comedy created by Laurent Baffie and directed by Ian Talbot that explores the lives of six characters living with OCD.
The show, which is currently premiering at The Churchill Theatre in Bromley, sets the stage in the office of world-renowned Doctor Cooper.
Waiting eagerly for a session with the doctor we meet six characters who have been living with various types of OCD, and when their paths cross so do some of their wires.
Waiting eagerly for a session with the doctor we meet six characters who have been living with various types of OCD. (Image: Mark Senior Photography)
We first meet the sweet and loveable Fred, played by Gareth Brierley, who lives with Tourette’s Syndrome, resulting in frequent episodes during the show with a lot of profanity.
Soon to join him is taxi driver Lee, played by Ryan Early, who lives with arithmomania – an obsession to count everything, although he is rather reluctant to admit it.
The waiting room is later joined by germ-phobic laboratory worker Blanche, played by Joanna Hudson-Fox, who has a compulsion to continuously wash her hands throughout the show.
She’s followed by Mary, played by Julia J Nagle, whose OCD means she has to check things several times before leaving the house.
Finally to join the waiting room is Lili, played by Sophie Bloor, who has to say everything twice, and Bob, played by Leon Stewart, with a need for symmetry and a phobia of walking on lines, who uses the books around the office as stepping stones.
A great deal of the humour in the show comes from the interactions between the characters, who are often complete opposites to each other along with their OCDs.
A great deal of the humour in the show comes from the interactions between the characters. (Image: Mark Senior Photography)
The show tells the stories of these characters as they wait for the late Doctor, resulting in them deciding to take part in a group therapy session in a bid to pass the time and help each other work through their OCDs.
Some of the most comical moments to watch are when Fred experiences an episode due to his Tourette’s, often with sexual references which take the anxious and devoutly religious Mary by surprise.
I really enjoyed how the show captured the sense of camaraderie the characters built up throughout the course of the play, as they worked to help each other through their issues and accommodate each other’s needs.
Although the show has a lot of comedic and light-hearted moments, it also explores the lives of those across the world who live with OCD and the challenges they pose to their work, social lives and relationships.
The show also explores the lives of those across the world who live with OCD and the challenges they pose to their work, social lives and relationships. (Image: Mark Senior Photography)
The producers of DocDoc have worked alongside mental health charity No Panic, who support those living with anxiety, and ultimately the play shows these characters as whole people with stories to tell rather than simply their OCDs.
The show was both entertaining and moving to watch, and showcased how shared lived experiences help us to forge connections and form communities.
DocDoc is playing at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley until February 15 with tickets starting from £18, before next heading to the Palace Theatre in Southend.
