A CHILD OF SCIENCE, Bristol Old Vic

A child of science is a fascinating, insightful and gripping account of a major medical breakthrough as Steptoe, Edwards and Purdy developed the techniques to create test-tube babies and the in vitro fertilization (IVF) that has benefited so many families around the world since its first successful implementation. in 1978. It is told in a fast-paced, episodic cinematic narrative covering locations in London, Cambridge and Oldham from 1958 to the famous birth of Louise Brown. Like the wonderful piece about the discovery of DNA, Photo 51this piece explains the science and development of the technique in a clear and accessible way, while focusing on the personal stories behind it with power and emotion.

The story begins with a dramatic and shocking recollection of the horrors of abortions on the streets of the 1950s by “butchers”, which prompted Patrick Steptoe to campaign for change in techniques and treatment of gynecological problems, and ends with that birth through caesarean section. Even though most of us know the outcome, the process of discovery over the course of twenty years is compellingly and powerfully told by writer Graham Farr and director Matthew Dunster, both of whom reveal that they and their partners have benefited from the treatment and therefore bring a personal perspective. to the story, which shines.

The story is inventive and beautiful, with many tiny cameo scenes flashing by to reveal each small step towards discovery and a haunting underlining by Genevieve Dawson and Niamh Gaffney, with the projected faces of a choir of volunteer singers, all of whom have had a relationship with IVF. . There is almost a sense that these are the voices of the lost embryos that contributed so much to the development of the technique and of the women who participated in making it happen.

However, what makes the play impactful and moving is the writing and rendering of the relationships between the main characters in the story. Jamie Glover passes on the caring and benevolent Patrick Steptoe, who with steely determination developed the laparoscopic technique essential to the success of IVF and yet cared deeply about how his patients were treated. He became considered the pioneer of the process, but the play reveals that the obsessive effort of Robert Edwards (played by Tom Felton) to create life from an egg to the formation of a blastocyst was the crucial breakthrough. The relationship between the two men is held together by the wonderful Jean Purdy (a wonderful performance by Meg Bellamy) who plays vital roles in the discoveries.

Even more compelling is that we follow the story of Margaret (Adelle Leonce) and Trevor (Bobby Hirston) from their first meeting to their tenth and final IVF cycle as patient 38. They brilliantly capture the love and desire for a child, the heartbreak of not being able to conceive and the despair and tensions created by the IVF process. This gives the story a real heart and emotional connection that reinforces the storytelling and the meaning of the discovery. It is also wonderfully contrasted with the attitudes of the medical profession at the time, with religious leaders speaking out against it and the dirty sensationalist journalism that fueled the public debate. It also reveals the contribution of Lillian Lincoln Howell, an American millionaire who funded the final stages when other support was cut off and insisted on remaining anonymous until her death in 2014.

There are moments of great humor, such as when Trevor is told to “just come” to the hospital, moments that reveal how women were viewed in the era, such as when the journalist patronizingly tells Jean “Think they’re great women working” and the shocking attitudes that prevail describing the procedure as a “Pandora’s box of destruction”. We can look back now and celebrate the pioneering work and the impact it had on so many lives, while acknowledging the pain that childless couples must feel.

This is a brilliantly written piece. Imaginative and slickly staged. Wonderfully acted by a cast of eleven in multiple roles. Educational, engaging and uplifting for the audience. A story with a Bristol connection (Lesley Brown came from Bristol and Louise still lives there) in the glorious historic Bristol Old Vic, the oldest continuously operating theater in the English-speaking world. A play that deserves a wider audience and is sure to transfer to the West End and beyond. A celebration of British medical invention and a reminder to all those undergoing IVF treatment that there is hope and they are not alone.

This is a production that deserves all the plaudits it is sure to garner.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Nick Wayne

A child of science plays at Bristol Old Vic until July 6, with more info here.