Play review – “The Hasty Heart” by John Patrick

This has a hokey set up and situation – in a hospital in wartime Burma, an Englishman (“Tommy”), an Australian (“Digger”), a Yank (“Yank”), a New Zealander (“Kiwi”) and a Black African (a moron called “Blossom”) are told to be nice to a Scot because he’s got six weeks to live. Problem is the Scot is a rude bugger. The play is stuffed with clichés and caricatures – dour Scott (cue bagpipes and jokes about kilts), dumb African, fat Pommy – but it is surprisingly effective, especially the thawing of the lonely Scot. Great structure, too – intro, Scot arrives and is rude, act two is thawing and has romance with nurse, act three he finds out. It really works: a genuine guy cry play.