Moment of Grace at The Hope Theatre

The princess, the patient and the handshake that changed the face of AIDS

2022 is the 35^th anniversary of Princess Diana’s opening of Broderip Ward at The Middlesex Hospital. This play addresses topics and events that are largely forgotten, an untold part of recent LGBTQ+ history.

Based on personal testimonies, Moment of Grace tells the story of the famous visit by Diana Princess of Wales to Britain’s first AIDS Unit and its impact on three people: Andrew, a patient, Jude, a nurse, and Donnie, a fireman estranged from his son. AIDS was taboo. Even being seen to work on this ward could cost you everything. Worldwide interest, news crews and a televised interview followed. To change public misconceptions, would you have risked it?

With this week being 50 years since the first Pride in London march and over 40 years since the first aids case was discovered in the UK it’s time to look at another important milestone in the fight against AIDS, the Princess Diana handshake. Whereas in the US they have Rock Hudson’s deathbed AIDS admission to mark as the turning point in the treatment of AIDS, here in the UK we have this moment with the royal Princess where she made physical contact with people living with AIDs in a way that was both personal and compassionate, made a huge difference to the general public’s understanding of the disease.

This play looks at that moment through the eyes of 3 characters who were part of that moment and how it impacted their lives, both before and after the event. It does a fantastic job of giving a taste of not just the era and the general feelings at the time towards gay people and AIDS but also the immediate impact of this event.

Both the writing and the acting across the board do a fantastic job of portraying the intensity of the situation throughout as you can feel the audience almost holding their breath as the events of the day are described. The performance takes you through a whole range of emotions from laughter to tears as you follow through the story on a personal level, focusing on the impact on the people rather than the glamour of the princess. It’s a show that is a must-watch if you want to get a feel for just how vital that turning point was.

Moment of Grace is on at The Hope Theatre until the 16th of July, tickets are £16 and can be booked directly through The Hope Theatre website.