Adam Kay marks the tenth anniversary of his book 'This Is Going to Hurt' with stories from his junior-doctor diaries and a live Q&A.
Adam Kay brings This Is Going To Hurt to The Alban Arena on Thursday 22 April 2027, starting at 7:30pm. It's the show that launched his global phenomenon, updated for 2027 and touring to mark a decade since the title first appeared. The set draws on the diaries he kept as a junior doctor, pairing all-time favourites with never-before-told stories and closing with a Q&A, all framed by how the NHS has changed in the ten years since.
If the name rings a bell, it's because the book spent over a year at number one on the Sunday Times bestseller list, was translated into 37 languages, won ten national awards and sold more than three million copies. The BBC series adapted by Kay won multiple BAFTAs. As a live performer he's sold out numerous West End seasons and international tours, with more than 500,000 people attending his shows. He's also a patron of The Lullaby Trust, for whom he's raised over £350k, and founded the National Memorial Tree Planting Campaign for healthcare workers who have lost their lives by suicide.
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So, what to expect on the night? Kay is a BAFTA winner and Emmy nominee, and this is a return to the material that started it all. The show mixes the stories from those junior-doctor diaries with new additions, and it wraps up with a Q&A, with the whole thing set against the backdrop of how the NHS has shifted over the last decade. It's a chance to hear the stories that made the book and the series, updated for 2027. The Alban Arena is in the Civic Centre, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 3LD, and the show starts at 7:30pm on Thursday 22 April.
