{{Short description|2019 West End play by Robert Icke}} {{Infobox play|name=The Doctor|caption=|writer=[[Robert Icke]]|chorus=|characters=|mute=|setting=|premiere={{Start date|df=yes|2019|08|10}}|place=[[Almeida Theatre]]|series=|subject=|genre=}}
'''''The Doctor''''' is a 2019 play by [[Robert Icke]]. It is a reimagining of the 1912 play ''[[Professor Bernhardi]]'' by [[Arthur Schnitzler]].
== Plot == 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, [[Color-blind casting|nontraditional casting methods]] were employed, such as color-conscious casting, to manipulate the audience’s expectations and internal biases towards identity groups.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wolf|first=Matt|date=2019-09-05|title=Who Are We, and What Defines Us? Big Questions on the London Stage|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/theater/the-doctor-almeida-appropriate-donmar.html|access-date=2022-02-07|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
== Production history ==
=== Almeida Theatre === The production premiered at the [[Almeida Theatre]] on August 10, 2019. It was created and directed by Robert Icke, designed by Hildegard Bechtler, lighting was designed by Natasha Chivers and sound by Tom Gibbons.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=THE DOCTOR|url=https://almeida.co.uk/whats-on/the-doctor/12-aug-2019-28-sep-2019|access-date=2021-11-06|website=Almeida Theatre|language=en}}</ref> It was Icke's final production as the Associate Director of the Almeida.<ref>{{cite web|title=Robert Icke and Andrew Scott in Conversation|url=https://almeida.co.uk/robert-icke-andrew-scott|access-date=31 August 2017|website=almeida.co.uk}}</ref> It is an adaptation of Viennese dramatist [[Arthur Schnitzler|Arthur Schnitzler's]] 1912 play [[Professor Bernhardi]].
English actress [[Juliet Stevenson]]'s performance as Dr. Ruth Wolff in ''The Doctor'' received critical praise. Stevenson won the 2019 Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-02-11|title=2019 Results {{!}} Critics' Circle Theatre Awards|url=https://criticscircletheatreawards.com/results/2019-results/|access-date=2022-02-07|language=en-GB}}</ref> and was nominated for both the [[Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress|Laurence Olivier Award]] and the [[Evening Standard Theatre Awards|Evening Standard Award]] for Best Actress.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Olivier Awards 2020 with Mastercard - Theatre's Biggest Night|url=https://officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/year/olivier-awards-2020/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Olivier Awards|language=en-GB}}</ref> Robert Icke won the [[Evening Standard Theatre Awards|Evening Standard Award]] for Best Director.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Paskett|first=Zoe|date=2019-11-25|title=The 2019 Evening Standard Theatre Awards winners in full|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/evening-standard-theatre-awards-winners-2019-a4294246.html|access-date=2022-02-07|website=www.standard.co.uk|language=en}}</ref> Live music was provided by drummer Hannah Ledwidge to underscore the tension and pacing within each scene.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-09-04|title=Robert Icke's "The Doctor" At The Almeida Theatre|url=https://thetheatretimes.com/robert-ickes-the-doctor-at-the-almeida-theatre/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=[[The Theatre Times]]|language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Adelaide Festival === The play headlined the [[Adelaide Festival]] in early 2020, completing its run narrowly before the coronavirus pandemic closed theatres worldwide.
=== UK Tour/West End === The Adelaide Festival cast had been contracted to play a run in the [[West End theatre|West End]] starting in April 2020, but this was postponed due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic|coronavirus pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Limited |first=London Theatre Direct |date=2020-05-13 |title=West End run of The Doctor starring Juliet Stevenson postponed until 2021 |url=https://www.londontheatredirect.com/news/west-end-run-of-the-doctor-starring-juliet-stevenson-postponed-until-2021 |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=London Theatre Direct |language=en}}</ref> The play toured from 5 September 2022<ref>{{Cite web |last=Premier |title=The Doctor - Created by Robert Icke |url=https://thedoctorwestend.co.uk/ |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=The Doctor - Created by Robert Icke |language=en-GB}}</ref> and opened on 29 September 2022 at the [[Duke of York's Theatre]] in London.<ref>{{Cite web |title=THE DOCTOR WEST END |url=https://almeida.co.uk/whats-on/the-doctor-west-end/29-sep-2022-11-dec-2022 |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=Almeida Theatre |language=en}}</ref>
=== European transfers === In 2021, the same creative team premiered a Dutch-language version at [[Internationaal Theater Amsterdam]], in a translation by [[Aus Greidanus Jr]] and starring the actors of the ITA ensemble.<ref>{{Cite web|title='De dokter NL' by Internationaal Theater Amsterdam {{!}} Readymag|url=https://readymag.com/3096230/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=De dokter NL}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=de dokter|url=https://ita.nl/nl/voorstellingen/de-dokter/1654828/|access-date=2021-11-06|website=Internationaal Theater Amsterdam|language=nl}}</ref>
A German-language version in a translation by Christina Schlögl opened at the [[Burgtheater]] in Vienna on 7 January 2022,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Die Ärztin - The Doctor {{!}} Burgtheater|url=https://www.burgtheater.at/en/die-aerztin|access-date=2021-11-06|website=www.burgtheater.at|language=en}}</ref> bringing the play full circle to the city where its source play, [[Professor Bernhardi]], was originally composed.
== Critical reception == On its premiere in London, ''The Doctor'' met with positive reviews. [[Michael Billington (critic)|Michael Billington]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' awarded the play five stars, and praised its handling of themes like identity politics and medical ethics.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-21|title=The Doctor review – Robert Icke offers brilliant diagnosis of modern ills|url=http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/aug/21/the-doctor-review-robert-icke-juliet-stevenson-almeida|access-date=2022-02-07|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref> In another five-star review, Fiona Mountford of [[The Daily Telegraph#Website|''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."<ref>{{Cite news|last=Mountford|first=Fiona|date=2019-08-21|title=The Doctor, Almeida, review: Juliet Stevenson triumphs in this swansong from Britain's best director|language=en-GB|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/doctor-almeida-review-juliet-stevenson-triumphs-swansong-britains/|access-date=2022-02-07|issn=0307-1235}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-09-04 |title=Robert Icke's "The Doctor" At The Almeida Theatre |url=https://thetheatretimes.com/robert-ickes-the-doctor-at-the-almeida-theatre/ |access-date=2022-02-07 |website=[[The Theatre Times]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
It was nominated for the [[Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play]], in addition to Stevenson's Best Actress nomination.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tanaka|first=Nobuko|date=2021-11-11|title='The Doctor' diagnoses society's afflictions|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2021/11/11/stage/the-doctor-shinobu-otake/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=The Japan Times|language=en-US}}</ref>
== Characters and cast == {| class="wikitable" ! scope="col" |Character ! scope="col" class="unsortable" |Original Cast <small>2019</small><ref name=":1" /> !Adelaide Festival <small>2020</small><ref>{{Cite web|title=Adelaide Festival: The Doctor – Witness Performance|url=https://witnessperformance.com/adelaide-festival-the-doctor/|access-date=2021-11-06|website=witnessperformance.com|date=March 2020 }}</ref> !ITA <small>2021</small><ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=The Doctor, ITA programme|url=https://readymag.com/ita/dedokternl/}}</ref> !Vienna 2022 !West End <small>2022</small><ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Sophie |date=2022-08-11 |title='The Doctor', starring Juliet Stevenson, announces full cast |url=https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/the-doctor-starring-juliet-stevenson-announces-full-cast |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=London Theatre |language=en}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" |Ruth Wolff | colspan="2" align="center" |[[Juliet Stevenson]] | align="center" |Janni Goslinga |Sophie von Kessel |Juliet Stevenson |- ! scope="row" |Sami | align="center" |[[Ria Zmitrowicz]] | align="center" |[[Liv Hill]] | align="center" |Ilke Paddenburg |Maresi Riegner |Matilda Tucker |- !Father | align="center" |Paul Higgins | align="center" |Jamie Parker | align="center" |Bart Slegers |Philipp Hauss |John Mackay |- ! scope="row" |Charlie | colspan="2" align="center" |Joy Richardson | align="center" |Nadia Amin |Sandra Selimovic |Juliet Garricks |- ! scope="row" |Michael Copley | align="center" |Oliver Alvin Wilson | align="center" |Chris Colquhoun | align="center" |Joy Delima |Bless Amada |Chris Colquhoun |- ! scope="row" |Paul Murphy | colspan="2" align="center" |Daniel Rabin | align="center" |Aus Greidanus jr. |Gunther Eckes |Daniel Rabin |- ! scope="row" |Roger Hardiman | colspan="2" align="center" |Naomi Wirthner | align="center" |Maria Kraakman |Zeynep Buyraç |Naomi Wirthner |- ! scope="row" |Jemima Flint | align="center" |Nathalie Armin | align="center" |Shelly Conn | align="center" |Dewi Reijs |Stacyian Jackson |[[Preeya Kalidas]] |- ! scope="row" |Brian Cyprian | align="center" |Pamela Nomvete | align="center" |[[Anni Domingo]] | align="center" |Farida van den Stoom |Ernest Allan Hausmann |Doña Croll |- !Junior Doctor | align="center" |Kirsty Rider | align="center" |Millicent Wong | align="center" |Sam Ghilane |Safira Robens |Sabrina Wu |Jaime Schwarz |- !Rebecca Roberts | colspan="2" align="center" |Mariah Louca | align="center" | [https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris%20Stenger Iris Amber Stenger ] |Bardo Böhlefeld |Mariah Louca |}
== Awards and nominations == === 2019 West End production === {| class="wikitable" width="95%" |- ! width="5%"| Year ! width="30%"| Award ! width="35%"| Category ! width="20%"| Nominee ! width="10%"| Result ! class=unsortable|Ref. |- | rowspan="2" |2019 | rowspan="2" |[[Evening Standard Theatre Awards]] |Best Director |[[Robert Icke]] |{{won}} | <ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-11-25|title=ROBERT ICKE WINS BEST DIRECTOR AT THE 65TH EVENING STANDARD THEATRE AWARDS AHEAD OF THE WEST END TRANSFER OF THE SMASH HIT & SELL OUT ALMEIDA THEATRE PRODUCTION OF THE DOCTOR * Fairy Powered Productions|url=http://fairypoweredproductions.com/robert-icke-wins-best-director-at-the-65th-evening-standard-theatre-awards-ahead-of-the-west-end-transfer-of-the-smash-hit-sell-out-almeida-theatre-production-of-the-doctor/|access-date=2021-11-06|website=Fairy Powered Productions|language=en-GB}}</ref> |- |Best Actress |[[Juliet Stevenson]] |{{nom}} | <ref name=":0">{{cite web|last1=Harrison|first1=Ellie|title=Full list of Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2019 winners as Andrew Scott scoops best actor|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/news/evening-standard-theatre-awards-2019-winners-full-list-andrew-scott-maggie-smith-a9216316.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/news/evening-standard-theatre-awards-2019-winners-full-list-andrew-scott-maggie-smith-a9216316.html |archive-date=2022-06-18 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=24 November 2019|website=independent.co.uk}}</ref> |- |2019 |Critics Circle Theatre Awards |Best Actress |Juliet Stevenson |{{won}} | |- | rowspan="2" |2020 | rowspan="2" |[[Laurence Olivier Awards]] |[[Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play|Best New Play]] |Robert Icke |{{nom}} | |- |[[Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] |Juliet Stevenson |{{nom}} | |- |}
=== 2022 Netherlands Production === {| class="wikitable" width="95%" |- ! width="5%"| Year ! width="30%"| Award ! width="35%"| Category ! width="20%"| Nominee ! width="10%"| Result ! class=unsortable|Ref. |- | rowspan="2" |2022 | rowspan="2" |VSCD Toneelprijzen |[[Theo d'Or|Theo D'Or]] |Janni Goslinga |{{nom}} | rowspan=2|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nominaties VSCD Toneelprijzen zijn bekend! |url=https://vscd.nl/nieuws/nominaties-vscd-toneelprijzen-zijn-bekend |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=VSCD |language=nl}}</ref> |- |Colombina |Ilke Paddenburg |{{nom}} |- |}
=== 2023 Off-Broadway production === {| class="wikitable" width="95%" |- ! width="5%"| Year ! width="30%"| Award ! width="35%"| Category ! width="20%"| Nominee ! width="10%"| Result ! class=unsortable|Ref. |- | rowspan="2” align="center" |{{center|2023}} || rowspan=2|[[Drama Desk Awards]] || [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play|Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play]] || Juliet Stevenson|| {{nom}} || rowspan=2|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://playbill.com/article/stereophonic-leads-2024-drama-desk-awards-with-7-wins-including-outstanding-play |title= Stereophonic Leads 2024 Drama Desk Awards With 7 Wins Including Outstanding Play|website= Playbill|accessdate= March 27, 2025}}</ref> |- |Best Adaptation || Robert Icke || {{nom}} |- |}
== References == {{reflist|2}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Doctor, The}} [[Category:British plays]] [[Category:2019 plays]] [[Category:West End plays]] [[Category:Plays about race and ethnicity]]