The Doctor (play)

The play follows Professor Ruth Wolff, the Founding Director of the Elizabeth Institute, who refuses to let a Catholic priest into the operating room where a girl is dying from a botched self-administered abortion. After a recording of the physical altercation with the priest goes viral on the internet, Ruth begins to receive severe backlash from some of the hospital staff, the girl’s father, a network of social media users, and eventually, a TV panel of social activist groups. Each of the panellists question Ruth’s intention for prohibiting the priest’s entrance, who is later revealed to be a Black man, and criticize her refusal to identify with labels. The Doctor explores themes of identity, race, privilege, religion, mental health, and sexuality. In the original production, nontraditional casting methods were employed, such as color-conscious casting, to manipulate the audience’s expectations and internal biases towards identity groups.[1]

On its premiere in London, The Doctor met with positive reviews. Michael Billington of The Guardian awarded the play five stars, and praised its handling of themes like identity politics and medical ethics.[14] In another five-star review, Fiona Mountford of The Telegraph described it as: "thrilling series of games of theatricality and rugpulling in which nothing is quite what – or who – it seems. We are, the play says from its slickly impersonal set on a slow revolve, far more complex than a series of simplistic labels."[15] Writing for The New York Times, Matt Wolf gave a more mixed review, saying that the play "may not quite reach the heights" of Icke's previous work, and that "[y]ou might argue that Mr. Icke takes on more themes than he can handle." Aleks Sierz praised the play's pacing, acting and dialogue, which he described as "moving as well as energizing."[16]

It was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play, in addition to Stevenson's Best Actress nomination.[17]