Rehearsal photos have been released for Almeida Theatre’s production of The Doctor, starring critically acclaimed actress Juliet Stevenson.
After opening at Brighton Theatre Royal, the production will tour to Brighton, Bath and Richmond before transferring to the Duke of York’s Theatre, where it will run from 29 September to 11 December.
Directed by the multi award-winning Robert Icke, The Doctor is loosely based on Arthur Schnitzler’s Professor Bernhardi which follows the story of a Jewish doctor who prevents a Catholic priest from administering the last rites to a patient who doesn’t realise she’s dying. The play is renowned for showcasing the author’s strong stance against antisemitism, delving into the prejudice that pervaded Viennese society at the turn of the 20th century.
Icke incorporates this ethics and morals study into his reimagining, while adding a few modern twists to the narrative. In this version, the story is set in a contemporary hospital in north London rather than Vienna and instead features a female protagonist, Professor Ruth Woolf.
Stevenson is set to reprise this role, which won her a Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress in 2019. She shared her excitement for the production’s return: “So much has happened in the last two years since we first played the show—I am so excited to share these new resonances and conversations with audiences, everywhere we go. Never has this debate been more needed.”
Christopher Osikanlu Colquhoun, Mariah Louca, Daniel Rabin, Naomi Wirthner, Hannah Ledwidge, Doña Croll, Juliet Garricks, Preeya Kalidas, John Mackay, Matilda Tucker and Sabrina Wu make up the supporting cast.
Words by Katie Heyes
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