Interview with Sam Macgregor

Ahead of Hold The Line, I caught up with Sam Macgregor to talk about the themes at the heart of the production, the creative journey behind it, and what audiences can look forward to when the lights go up.

Hold the Line is rooted in your real-life experience working on the NHS 111 frontline - what made you feel this was a story that needed to be told on stage? 

People have always been into medical dramas as well as sitcoms set in an Office, or a work place environment, so after a few months of working for NHS111 I knew that there was something there. It wasn’t until 3 years in did I start to actually conceptualise a story and characters. NHS111 wasn’t a setting that had been covered by TV or theatre and as someone who had already written a play, I was able to curate a story fairly easy, something that I thought would open peoples eyes to the 111 world. 

How did you balance the very real, often distressing subject matter with the sharp humour that runs throughout the piece? 

I think after any heavy scene, a little something to shake the audience out of something potentially distressing is always a good idea. I suppose it’s quite formulaic in a way. Something upsetting happens, then something funny happens. It’s not as straight forward as that of course but in the scenes that are particularly sad I want the audience to be reassured that there’s positivity at the end of it. Also, the job has its funny moments so it writes its self. 

The show explores the emotional toll of absorbing trauma call after call. How did you approach portraying that without overwhelming the audience? 

I didn’t want this to be a 100% drama with just complex and upsetting calls. There’s a draft of this play where there is no humour that exists, but I always found myself adding in light moments. I think the writing is naturalistic and I myself am very naturalistic in how I perform, so as soon as something serious is happening I trust the audience trusts me in lightening the mood again. However I obviously can’t control the audiences emotions so I suppose the ball is in their court once the scenes start playing out. Also though, it’s my job as the writer and performer to change how the audience might feel and if I manage to do this then I’m doing a good job. 

What kind of research or reflection went into shaping the script beyond your own experiences? 

I took inspiration from medical dramas, like Scrubs in terms of surreal moments within what is technically a straight forward play that is centred in reality. One moment we are in midst of something serious or complex with characters surrounding JD (the protagonist of Scrubs) the next we are in his head and now seeing a whacky and surreal daydream play in front of the audience. This kind of only happens once in the play but thats what gsve me the idea to do that particular scene (a dance break between my character Gary and a nurse called Toni).

How has the piece evolved since its run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025? 

A few minor changes in the dialogue but otherwise it’s the same. I like the idea of it maybe being a bit longer with some new scenes that I think would be great, but the Edinburgh fringe run worked well with the current draft so I wasn’t hell bent on a big change. You never know a bigger theatre and a longer run might be the incentive to have another go at making it longer. 

As both writer and performer, how do you separate those roles in rehearsal? Or do they constantly overlap? 

If there’s no more edits to the script and everyone is happy with how things are, then all I need to focus on is being present and taking the directors notes. Usually at the start they overlap but it’s always beneficial I think. 

Can you tell us about your collaboration with director Laura Killeen, how did she help shape the tone and pacing of the piece? 

I’d seen Laura’s work previously and knew i wanted to collaborate. I wanted someone with a clear vision that matched mine and someone who could just come in and take control and it was such a beautiful addition to the team. So many of the shows best bits are due to our brilliant director! 

The NHS is such a vital but often overstretched system. Did you feel a responsibility when portraying it on stage? 

A little bit yeah. I wouldn’t want anyone to think that we are doing a disservice to the NHS. I think people might shy away from plays about the NHS for fear of them being too preachy, which is definitely not my intention. My mam was a nurse for years until recently and I’ve also had many a sports injury so I’ve utilised the NHS a lot in my life, it’s such an integral part of mine and everyone’s life. But yes, to answer the question, I do feel a responsibility when performing the play and I aim to uphold people’s potential certain expectations when seeing a show like this. 

There’s a strong sense of urgency throughout the play. How do you maintain that energy across the entire performance? 

I suppose as long as we both stay present and do the script justice, hit our queues and remember to hit the beats as rehearsed, then the energy is maintained. There’s some quiet moments which give the audience a bit of break as well as me and Gabi. 

The play shines a light on an often invisible part of healthcare. What do you hope audiences take away about NHS 111 specifically? 

Hopefully to have more of an understanding of the 111 system. I think since covid, 111 has became a huge part of facilitating care for Britain and it’s a great service and I stand by that as sometimes there’s a tiny portion of experiences where people might not get a great outcome when they ring. The main theme or message maybe is to bring things back to a humane level. To understand that both people on the end are going through stuff. Obviously the patient is the main concern, but also staff require a pause for thought among a service that is at very high capacity. 

What do you hope people are talking about afterwards? 

Maybe about their previous experiences with the NHS, good and bad. As long as they were entertained and educated on some level then I’m happy for any form of discussion about the play to take place after. 

Three words to describe Hold the Line? 

Intimate, funny, pensive 

Hold The Line heads to The Hope Theatre (21st to 25th April). For full performance dates and ticket information, visit the official website: https://www.thehopetheatre.com/

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