The Doctor

Dawn of the “Post-Truth” era: 

In a tussle between medical ethics and religious faith,

amidst a storm of public opinion, what is the value of “truth”?

A teenager is at death’s door after her botched abortion, and a priest hopes to perform the last rites. Yet Ruth, the doctor in charge, refuses this request out of medical concerns. The incident goes viral and becomes a hot topic on social media, with many clamouring for the hospital to make an official response. Shouldering the weight of her own career as well as the future of the hospital, Ruth is under attack. At the same time, she faces tremendous pressure that is in her private life…
 
The Doctor is a breakthrough contemporary drama that Robert Icke adapted from Viennese playwright Arthur Schnitzler’s Professor Bernhardi of 1912. The Doctor was nominated as Best New Play at the Olivier Awards in 2020.
 
Playing Ruth the doctor is former Assistant Artistic Director Fung Wai Hang, joined by outstanding HKRep company members as they delve into the “post-truth” era. With the online information blitz under attack by media pundits, opinions outflank facts and algorithms dictate the winds of change, rocking the very foundation of science, religion and civilisation. The Doctor dissects the furtive surface of our murky world, throwing down the gauntlet in search of truth for both cast and audience alike. We invite you to take this mind-blowing journey recounting an absurd tale of a professional scandal.