Dr Semmelweis with Mark Rylance to run in the West End 

Mark Rylance will return to the West End in Dr Semmelweis this summer. 

Rylance, known for his turns in Jerusalem and Bridge of Spies, will be reprising his role in the Bristol Old Vic production, which will open at the Harold Pinter Theatre from 11 July, with previews starting on 29 June and dates until 7 October.

Directed by Tom Morris, Dr Semmelweis follows pioneering Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis, who made one of the most important discoveries in modern medicine. His research on bacteria, which was later proved by Louis Pasteur and Dr Lister, could have saved countless lives, but it was ignored for forty years. The production features a chorus of ballet dancers and a quartet representing the thousands of mothers who perished unnecessarily.

With preview tickets starting at just £10 and over 350 tickets a week available for £25 or less, the production promises to be accessible to everyone. It will run for a strictly limited 14-week engagement, so booking in advance is recommended.

The production is presented by Sonia Friedman Productions and the National Theatre and is based on an original idea by Rylance. It features set and costume design by Ti Green, lighting design by Richard Howell, choreography by Antonia Franceschi, and music by Adrian Sutton.

Rylance said today: “Here is a person who makes one of the most important discoveries in modern medicine – what we now call ‘Bacteria’ – and yet he is pretty much unknown because for forty years, until Louis Pasteur and Dr Lister make the same discovery, no one will listen to him. Why?

 “I was intrigued. The inspiration to act our story with a chorus of ballet dancers and a quartet representing the many thousands of mothers who perished unnecessarily, makes this a very powerful piece of theatre for me. I am thrilled to be reviving it in London at the Harold Pinter Theatre.”

Public booking opens on 31 March.