Bristol Old Vic hosts play about ‘test tube baby’ Louise Brown

A play about the creation of IVF will have its world premiere this week.

In 1978, Lesley Brown gave birth to her daughter Louise with the help of Professor Sir Robert Edwards, his colleague Dr Patrick Steptoe and Jean Purdy.

The play was written by Gareth Farr and is directed by Matthew Dunster. The cast includes Tom Felton, Jamie Glover, Meg Bellamy, Adelle Leonce and Sonoya Mizuno.

The birth of Louise Brown “changed the world forever”, proving that being infertile was no longer a barrier to having a child.

Lesley Brown made history in July 1978 when her daughter was born at Oldham General Hospital.

Mrs Brown and her husband John tried for a child for nine years before becoming the first woman to give birth after IVF treatment.

This procedure has since supported the birth of more than 12 million babies worldwide over the past 45 years.

Although other women have had fertilized eggs implanted, Ms Brown was the first to achieve a pregnancy beyond a few weeks.

A spokesman for Bristol Old Vic said the play was “about determination, dreams, hope and courage. It’s a celebration of life.”

Based on research and interviews with embryologists and fertility doctors, the play captures the lives of those affected by the discovery of IVF.

A Child of Science, which opens on Wednesday, features characters inspired by real-life people and some entirely imagined by the writer.

As part of the production, a choir was also created to record the music used throughout the play – and each member of the choir has a connection to fertility treatments.

The play runs at Bristol Old Vic until Saturday 6 July.