“This medical musical about the invention of penicillin doesn’t live up to its promise.”
Lifeline is an ambitious musical braiding together two stories: the life of Sir Alexander Fleming after his groundbreaking discovery of penicillin in 1928, and a contemporary love story set on a hospital ward.
The audience follows Fleming (Alan Vicary) through his later years, grappling with the death of his wife while sounding early warnings about antibiotic resistant diseases. Running alongside this is the story of musician Aaron (Nathan Salstone) and his ex-girlfriend Jess (Maz McGinlay), a paediatric doctor. When Aaron falls ill with a bacterial infection, their relationship is rekindled at his bedside.
Part period drama, part 21st-century romance, Lifeline falters under the weight of these parallell storylines. The thematic link – the legacy of penicillin and the threat of its decline – is clear enough, but the audience is left until well into the second half to draw a meaningful connection between past and present.
This structural disconnect has a knock-on effect on pacing. At two and a half hours, including the interval, the show is overly long. The modern love story, meanwhile, feels underwritten, and perhaps even unecessary, with the audience given little chance to invest in the relationship.
It’s a missed opportunity, especially when the show does gesture towards some compelling themes. Flashbacks to Fleming’s work in a First World War field hospital are among the most powerful moments, and offer more immediate drama. It is hard not to feel that a version of Lifeline less reliant on a contrived modern romance might have delivered a sharper piece of theatre. It’s a shame for bookwriter Becky Hope-Palmer, whose script conveys an obvious passion for the cause, but is overly ambitious in her aims.
Fortunately, the show does have several strong performances to hang its hat on. The inclusion of a chorus of real-life doctors, nurses, and researchers who work with antibiotics is an amazing touch that elevates the stakes beyond the fictional narrative. At the end of the show, they are invited to address the audience directly, which makes for a incredibly moving finale and an amazing tribute to those on the front lines of healthcare.
Alan Vicary delivers an accomplished portrait of Alexander Fleming, capturing the doubts and quiet anxieties of the dour Scotsman with real nuance. It’s a measured, believable performance that anchors the period sections. Opposite him is Kelly Glyptis, who brings a likeable presence as colleague and love interest Amalia Voureka. Glyptis inhabits the impatience and frustration of trying to reach the “man behing the mould” with an assured performance, and generates many of the show’s big laughs.
Nathan Salstone brings charisma and versatility to Aaron – singing, dancing and playing guitar with real aplomb. He convincingly inhabits the role of a rising musician, and his jangly acoustic numbers and impressive voice are a great lead for the first half’s musical numbers.
Maz McGinlay, opposite him as Jess, gives a considered performance, though it occasionally lacks the emotional weight needed to fully anchor her part of the story.
Helen Logan, as Aaron’s mother, threatens to steal the show in ever scene she appears. Her performance is emotionally rich and expressive, elevating the characters around here and highlighting her drastic underuse in the first half.
The large cast shares the stage effectively, with well-choreographed ensemble numbers that make impressive use of a relatively small space. Robin Hiley has done an impressive job with the musical numbers, which move the story forward meaningfully and are catchy despite their somewhat sterile subject matter. Along with Musical Director Neil Metcalfe, he also createss a fantastic score with five other talented musicians sitting on raised balconies beside the stage.
There is, undeniably, real heart and gusto here, along with an important message and a central role for real-life heroes. But despite these strengths, Lifeline never quite coheres into something truly powerful. Given the weight of its subject it makes that shortfall all the more disappointing .
Lifeline is running at Southwark Playhouse Elephant until 2nd May 2026.