He’s the ex-junior doctor who lifted a lid on the crisis inside the NHS when he left the profession and turned his reveal-all diaries into a stand-up show that later became his best-selling memoir, This Is Going to Hurt.
Adam Kay’s memoir has since been turned into a seven-part BBC drama, starring Ben Whishaw. Is he done now?
Not even close.
It turns out Adam has plenty more material up his sleeve, and now he’s turned his latest adult book (he also now writes grisly children’s stories), Undoctored, into a live show of the same name – and it’s coming to the Churchill Theatre this week as part of a national tour.
In it, Adam shares more stories from his experiences as a medic, but it also charts the author’s life after leaving the NHS.
It’s been a big year for Adam and his husband, Game of Thrones producer James Farrell. In October 2023, they became parents to two children born via surrogacy: 10-month-old Ruby and six-month-old Ziggy.
Adam is already back out on the comedy circuit, embarking on a three-month tour with Undoctored.
The show saw Adam return to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last summer for the first time since 2016. Following the same winning formula that put Adam on the map with This Is Going to Hurt – honesty cut through with humour, essentially – it proved a hit, selling an impressive 23,000 tickets across 32 sell-out performances at the Fringe alone before transferring to the West End’s Lyric theatre last autumn.
Speaking about his return to the Edinburgh Fringe, Adam said: “The Edinburgh Fringe is a unique and wonderful festival, which has given me so much over the years – from catalysing my career as a writer in 2016, to trench foot in 2010 after spending a month flyering in the rain.
“I’ve been blown away by the response to Undoctored, and it’s the cherry on top of the shortbread to have sold the most tickets of the Fringe. I can’t wait to bring this show around the country to delight and disgust a whole new audience.”
It’s perhaps no surprise that, now he’s a household name, Adam’s show became the best-selling event at this year’s Fringe. His books have sold over five million copies, while his children’s books alone have sold 650,000 copies and been translated into 29 different languages.
But for us adults, it’s his shocking stories that unmask the raw deal faced by NHS workers, in particular junior doctors, that continue to have us transfixed.
Undoctored comes to the Churchill Theatre as the second stop on a national tour that will see Adam play 23 venues over its 11 week run.
Adam Kay: Undoctored is showing at the Churchill Theatre, High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA. Friday January 26, 7:30pm. Admission: £29.75 – £32.25.
www.trafalgartickets.com/churchill-theatre-bromley/en-GB/event/comedy/adam-kay-undoctored-tickets
