Bristol Old Vic’s world-class, world-premiere play with Tom Felton is now open

Posted on: 13 Jun 2024

A Child of Science, the brand-new play depicting the breathtaking story behind the invention of IVF, is now open at the Bristol Old Vic – and it’s receiving rave reviews.

Directed by West End Luminary Matthew Dunster, A Child of Science tells the pioneering story of Patrick Steptoe, Robert Edwards, and Jean Purdy, who changed the world as we know it – 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.

Faced with fierce criticism and hostility, and hounded by the media for “playing God”, trials were kept largely under wraps. But their determination to give hope to the thousands of families struggling to conceive eventually 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 45 years.

A Child of Science opened just a few days ago, and is already receiving glowing reviews from the press and public – the Times called it “ingeniously crafted”, and Bristol 24/7 called it “A remarkable play with an extraordinary, emotional pulse”. The public response has been no different, with Twitter (or X, if you must insist) users like @Bristol_Jane unable to “stop thinking about it”.

The play also hosts a remarkable cast – with Harry Potter’s Tom Felton taking the role of Robert Edwards, The Crown actor Meg Bellamy as Jean Purdy, and Sonoya Mizuno (La La Land, House of the Dragon) in multiple roles – all of whom have been lauded for their performances by multiple publications.

A Child of Science is on now at the Bristol Old Vic, but only runs until Saturday 6 July. Tickets are already limited for some of the dates, so make haste. You can find out more about the play, and get your tickets, here.

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