Tiger Country **** TNT

The disconcerting whiff of authenticity pervades award-winning playwright and director Nina Raine’s well-researched new play which recreates the pressurised tensions of a hectic NHS hospital where a patient’s life can depend on the gut feeling of the doctor on call.

With a large, bustling cast, she paints, vividly, a familiar picture of a competitive environment where the old boy network still holds sway and staff and facilities are stretched to the limit.

Thusitha Jayasundera’s abrupt urologist (she views children as a consolation prize for a stalled career), Ruth Everett’s idealistic newcomer and Adam James’ totally convincing cardiologist are especially potent reminders that those at the sharp end are as likely as the rest of us to go under a fellow surgeon’s knife – and just as scared of hearing a fateful diagnosis.

Hampstead, Eton Avenue, NW3 3EU (020 7722 9301) Tube: Swiss Cottage hampsteadtheatre.com Until 5th February £22 -£29