Lloyd Evans Lloyd Evans

Like an episode of Play School: Dr Semmelweis, at the Harold Pinter Theatre, reviewed

Plus: were things in 2012 really as bad for gays as this new play at Southwark Playhouse suggests?

Mark Rylance as Ignaz Semmelweis, surrounded by a troupe of ballerinas who mimic the horrors of childbirth through the medium of expressive dance. Photo: Simon Annand 
issue 02 September 2023
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  • Dr Semmelweis

    Harold Pinter Theatre, until 7 October

  • Dumbledore is So Gay

    Southwark Playhouse, until 23 September

Bleach and germs are the central themes of Dr Semmelweis, written by Mark Rylance and Stephen Brown. The opening scene, set in the 1860s, presents the harmless old doctor as a charming oddball who adores playing chess with his happy, clever wife. This is code: Semmelweis is an intellectual and a feminist whom it’s safe to like.

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