A Child of Science

In 1978, Patrick Steptoe, Robert Edwards, and Jean Purdy changed the world as we know it – and most people don't even know their names.

Bruntwood Prize-winning writer Gareth Farr's brilliant new play tells their pioneering story, 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.

A Child of Science charts the incredible events that 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.

Premiered at Bristol Old Vic in June 2024.