Lifeline
Two pharmacists are to feature in the London run of a musical themed on antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The chorus of Lifeline, a musical at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, which will run between 28 March and 2 May 2026, includes Maria Boltova (Marsha), lead pharmacist in emergency medicine and Shay Khan, specialist infection pharmacist and advanced clinical practitioner at Whittington Health NHS Trust.
The musical’s timeline spans from the 1950s – focusing on Alexander Fleming at the height of his fame following his discovery of penicillin – to a present-day Edinburgh hospital.
The show ran at the Signature Center, New York, in September 2024, and during its run, a song from the production was performed at the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance.
In a press release issued on 26 February 2026, the show’s producers said: “Pharmacists like Marsha and Shay are on the frontlines, ensuring antibiotics are used responsibly – guiding prescribing decisions and protecting the effectiveness of these medicines for future generations.
“Now, they’re using their voice to spread awareness of the dangers of AMR.”
Khan said: “When I saw Lifeline being promoted through the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, I immediately recognised it as a unique opportunity to bring together my love for theatre and the work I do in antimicrobial stewardship.
“AMR is a global health threat that has gone under-recognised for far too long, but I believe the tide is finally turning. Lifeline represents a powerful and innovative way to raise public awareness and inspire meaningful, lasting change.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC), said: “Lifeline was originally funded by the BSAC and represents eight years of sustained commitment and support from the Society. We are proud to continue that support today by leading the halo campaign around the production, increasing engagement, broadening its reach and deepening understanding of the issues at its heart.
“As well as proving a hit for audiences around the world, an in-depth study, which evaluated the effectiveness of the original production (formerly called The Mould that Changed the World) found that that children who watched the who were able to articulate a greater understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the risks of antibiotic overuse.”
In February 2025, the National Audit Office warned that the UK was “a long way” from achieving its targets for reducing antimicrobial-resistant infections.
In November 2025, manufacturer GSK announced that it would work with about 50 UK scientists on the use of AI to speed up research on AMR — with £45m in funding provided across six research programmes, in partnership with the Fleming Initiative.
Published in the same month, the UK Health Security Agency’s report on AMR included data on antimicrobials prescribed through England’s Pharmacy First service for the first time.
