A Child of Science
In 1978, Patrick Steptoe, Robert Edwards, and Jean Purdy changed the world as we know it – and most people don’t even know their names.
Bruntwood Prize-winning writer (Britannia Waves the Rules) Gareth Farr’s brilliant new play tells their pioneering story, and those of the army of women from all over the UK whose immense bravery helped them achieve the impossible – to create human life in vitro.
A Child of Science charts the incredible events that led to one of the most remarkable medical breakthroughs of our time: the birth of a baby girl and the creation of IVF, a procedure which has supported the birth of over 12 million babies worldwide over the last forty years.
Directed by the highly acclaimed West End director Matthew Dunster (Hangmen, 2:22 A Ghost Story, Shirley Valentine) and featuring the award-winning Tom Felton (Harry Potter), A Child of Science is about determination, dreams, hope, and courage. It’s a celebration of life.
A Child of Science is a fictionalised account of the true story of the events that led to the first ‘test-tube’ birth of a baby and the invention of IVF. The play is based on research and interviews over many years with embryologists and fertility doctors, some of whom worked closely with Bob Edwards, as well as those whose lives were affected by and enabled by those events. It features characters inspired by real-life individuals, and some entirely imagined by the writer.
Please note that we cannot guarantee the appearance of specific performers. Cast members’ performance schedules are subject to change, including unavailability, holidays or illness.
Artwork by Gabby Vautier | Tom Felton by Joseph Sinclair
Date: 28/06/2024 at 19:30 and 29/06/2024 at 14:30
Location: Bristol Old Vic
Captioner: Neve Holland
To make a booking: https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/a-child-of-science