The Doctor

by Robert Icke

Very freely adapting Professor Bernhardi by Arthur Schnitzler, Robert Icke has written a gripping moral thriller that uses the lens of medical ethics to examine urgent questions of faith, belief, and scientific rationality. How do we defend the "truth" when no one agrees what it is and many have reason to undermine it?

Genres: Plays

112 pages, Paperback

Published August 20, 2019

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd heard about and meant to read Icke's adaptation of Schnitzler's Professor Bernhardi back when it first appeared in 2019 - but finally got around to it now that it's currently back in the West End to - again - universal rave reviews (see below). It's an astonishingly good, nay riveting, piece of theatre - and I particularly like that Icke messes with the audience's expectations by stating that each actor must have one identity discordant from who they are playing (i.e., black characters are played by white actors and vice versa; males are played by females, etc.). Would have loved to have been able to see Juliet Stevenson in the lead role.

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/202...
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/201...
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/w...

[Jon Zelazny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are overly ambitious second-rate bureaucrats exploiting woke mobs and and religious zealots to discredit and dismiss our best and brightest? Couldn’t read this depiction of an institutional takedown of a medical institute director without thinking of Deborah Gist, the brilliant superintendent of the Tulsa School District, recently forced out by Oklahoma’s frothing Trumpkin of an Education Secretary Ryan Walters, whom you may know as the guy who just appointed a TikTok hate monger to a state board that oversees library books.

I’m guessing such forces have stained every human system ever created, but Mr. Icke captures the lingo and mores of our particular era better than anyone since Mamet sicced that seething prole undergrad against a heedless academic windbag in 'Oleanna.'

[Geret · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow. võib-olla see on pokaalist veinist, mis ma selle lugemise ajal jõin, võib-olla see oli see tekst ise, aga pole elu sees ühtegi näidendit nii huviga (ja kaasamõtlevalt lmao) lugenud. hea. hetk, kui oled kindel, kelle poolel sa oled, pööratakse su arvamus/arusaam ringi. viimased lehed.. wow. mulle meeldis, et see polnud ka niivõrd didaktiline kuivõrd vaateid seletav, näitav. praegu arvan nii, eks homme seminaris näeb, kas avastan midagi veel. nüüd tahaks lavastust ise näha ka. lugege ikka.

[Gammakiirgus]

*guugeldamas millal ugala “arsti” tartus jälle mängib*

[Lianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short play but excellent. The story is tightly told and the lines feel very real. Interested to see this on stage.

[massmarketbareback · Rating 5 out of 5]

icke has taken the rather dramaturgically inaccessible play 'professor bernhardi' and craft a heart-wrenching play for a contemporary audience.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It is over when there is a body and not a second before."
Wanted to read the script after seeing this play on opening night at The Armory. Riveting story about language, identity, politics, ethics, ambition, mob mentality and so much else! The casting choices were interesting and, at times confusing, but in the end served a most critical purpose of asking the questions: Who has the "right" to play a certain character? When the gender/race/religion of a character is revealed to be something other than what the audience may have thought....does that change the way you feel about the dialogue and/or action of a scene?
Truly fascinating theatrical experience. Well done Robert Ickes and Juliet Stevenson and entire cast.

[Eva Malkki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is based on reading the text of the play. I only saw the play performed after I had read it a couple of times (for work purposes), and perhaps its impact on the stage was somewhat diminished by that. The text is really powerful - very wordy, but you find out as you delve into it that nearly nothing is superfluous. I suppose it's a sign of a good play when the characters and their interaction are infuriating! It really shows how many large and small issues we are faced with in society these days and how difficult it is to have a proper dialogue about them. Mostly people just talk across, past and over each other.

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful and frustrating and smart. A play designed to make you question every character, every motivation and every argument, even the ones you forcefully back in real life. The multiple points of the piece hinge around an action by a doctor, under a stressful situation, and orbit around the baggage of experience we bring to our choices and decisions. Ultimately, a good exercise for my brains, but damned if I didn't hate this play a little, especially during the staff meeting and TV debate scenes.

[Wizadoraa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice adaptation. Saw this whilst browsing drama book shops in New York City and this one stood out on the shelves.

I'm trying to branch out and try new book genres and screenplays/plays are things I should read more often so I decided to purchase this and give it a go.

I want to read the original now that this is based off because I really enjoyed the read/adaptation and I want to compare the two texts.

This one raised a lot of good questions in terms of politics, religion, beliefs and medical morality/philosophy in today's world. I would love to catch a show of this.

[Ross Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting play. It's frustrating that the characters aren't called out by race and gender, as at least one of those is a key plot point. The action is very compelling and it pushes a lot of hot-button topics without being didactic.

[Alan Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly thrilling. I couldn't tear myself away from each page. An absolute gift for any actress.

[Bobby Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This play just got better and better as it went along. You find yourself constantly reevaluating whose side you're on.

[Peejay(Pamela) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t generally read plays but a friend recommended this (he’ll be producing it in London). Gripping, nauseating, thoughtful, painful and honest.

[Wiley June · Rating 3 out of 5]

PROFESSOR

[Steve Mayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

as interesting to read, as it was to watch.

[آبتین گلکار · Rating 5 out of 5]

یکی از نمونه‌های خیلی خوب نمایشنامه‌های مباحثه‌ای با یک شخصیت مرکزی فوق‌العاده دوست‌داشتنی. خیلی مشتاقم نمایشنامه‌ی شنیتسلر را هم که این کتاب از روی آن اقتباس شده بخوانم

[Mariana Vaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfeito!!!

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Topical. Would like to see live.

[Kai · Rating 5 out of 5]

We watched this with school and I just LOVED it so much I had to buy the copy. I adored the way modern day topics were depicted and it was truly so emotional