Dr. Semmelweis (West End) London Reviews and Tickets

87%

(138 Ratings)

Positive

93%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Absorbing, Great acting, Clever, Intelligent, Entertaining

About the Show

Mark Rylance stars in this drama about the life of an early pioneer of antiseptic medicine.

Troubled by the death toll of childbed fever in 19th-century Vienna, the maverick Doctor Semmelweis makes a discovery that could save hundreds of thousands of new mothers. But when the medical establishment questions his methods & his sanity, he finds that simply being a pioneer isn't enough.

Years later, he is haunted by the ghosts of the women he failed to save and wonders if it is too late to convince the medical establishment that he might hold the key to saving an untold number of lives.

'Dr. Semmelweis' is based on an original idea by Mark Rylance (Jerusalem), developed with writer Stephen Brown and director Tom Morris (War Horse). The show transfers to the West End after its world premiere at the Bristol Old Vic in early 2022.

Show-Score Member Reviews (93)

95%

Absorbing, Clever, Great Acting, Great Staging, Intelligent

See it if for a delightful, thoughtful and engaging night of storytelling about the difficulties of medical progress

Don't see it if you have a heart of stone and intense acting with dancers and a musicians’ quartet on stage leave you indifferent

80%

Ambitious, Clever, Entertaining

See it if Mark Rylance & Pauline McLynn were amazing - very moving show - strong acting

Don't see it if you want fun - it's not fun

95%

Absorbing, Clever, Great Acting, Great Staging, Intense

See it if You like a true story and one filled with emotional trauma delivered by the most fabulous cast and backed by amazing violins and dancers.

Don't see it if No reason unless you want to be cheered up. Whilst it’s not doom and gloom, it’s not exactly a cheerful story and you might need tissues !

88%

Absorbing, Exquisite, Great Staging, Intelligent, Thought-Provoking

See it if you like theatre that merges different forms of performing arts, great acting and a story line that gives you time to reflect

Don't see it if you get easily frustrated with mankind's stupidity and obstinance Read more

82%

Great Acting, Great Staging, Profound

See it if Amazing true story and creative choreography standing

Don't see it if Can pace a bit better

100%

Absorbing, Ambitious, Clever, Delightful, Enchanting

See it if you like excellent acting

Don't see it if you get confused easily

65%

Ambitious, Cliched, Great Acting, Riveting, Slow

See it if you like Mark Rylance and like to know more about the "father" of hand sanitising.

Don't see it if you can't stand a show that's slow and dreadful.

98%

Enchanting, Great Acting, Great Staging, Intelligent, Resonant

See it if If you like a masterful play with excellent staging and acting

Don't see it if You want something light. This play deals with heavy, sensitive issues Read more

Critic Reviews (11)

“The ending is rushed and clumsy but it doesn’t matter. One of our finest, alchemically instinctive actors is back where he belongs: onstage.”
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"Mark Rylance is astonishing – again – in this unsettling, atmospheric drama about the downfall of a pioneering doctor"
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"Playing a maverick doctor who discovers a ground-breaking cure, the star embodies crusading eccentricity – and dangerous monomania... [this play places] resonant emphasis on the dangers of group-think and the way medical hierarchies can crush whistleblowers. "
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“He [Rylance] makes Semmelweis hard to like. But he also lets you see inside his head, showing the thrill of being part of a new way of thinking, indicating the panic as he half realises his mind is becoming disturbed. It’s an extraordinarily subtle and emotional performance.”
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“This stirring tragedy gives a voice to the voiceless: not just the unfairly treated Semmelweis, but the women whose pain was ignored, and whose deaths were dismissed as routine.”
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"Mark Rylance gives a fascinating, febrile performance in this unwieldy but absorbing historical drama."
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“There is humour here as well as physical theatre, music, anger, sadness, emotional nuance.”
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Dr Semmelweis is utterly fascinating in every respect, especially as it unearths such a vital piece of forgotten, or ignored, history. As a pioneer of medicine, Mark Rylance leads an impressive cast in this gripping historical drama.
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Trailer

Creative team