The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2019 - Issue 26

bite theatre Other questions regarding her particular race and gender are asked, to which she reckons would have resulted differently if they had been different. Things, however, quickly blow up. During their regular meeting, the medical staff team is alerted to an online petition which seems to be a minor impediment as initially there are only twenty-seven signatures. She is advised by the hospital’s PR, Rebecca, not to release a statement apol- ogising for her decision; a direct opposite of the advice fellow Dr. Murphy is giving. Rebecca hopes that because it has a political annotation to it, it would all be forgotten soon enough. Wolff and her trusted col- league Cyprian believe she had actually been ‘acting absolutely as a doctor should and [they, the other medical staff] would have all behaved in the same way’ and “if the patient’s a child, then it’s up to the doctor… No parents were available to con- tact.” Most of them agree it would all just go away and that Ruth’s position is not in danger as no one knows the offending doctor was her (yet). It is revealed that Professor Dr. Ruth Wolff is a pioneer in dementia medicine and therefore an important asset to the institute’s ability to fundraise from private donations, to stay open and more importantly, open the new building that will help equip the research into finding a cure. As tensions and uncertainties of the future rise amongst the medical staff, with medical managers and team leaders pulling rank and manipulating ideas and opinions, the online petition eventually rises to multiples of thousands and the board has started to resign. The most worrying aspect about this is the main donor to the foundation’s impending new building is very angry about the situation. The staff is worried that she will pull out of her financial pledge. They had planned to break ground in as little as six months. Time is of the essence. Added to all this is Wolff ’s weird and uncomplicated home life. She lives alone but there’s a figure that always seems present on stage, at the side, that always keeps Wolff ’s kettle boiled and doesn’t speak much, though yet is close enough to ask Ruth questions at random times, mostly about work and her emo- tions regarding certain details of work. The eventual revelation of this character takes us audience by surprise but enables us to form a better understanding of this highly complex character called Professor Doctor Ruth Wolff. Then, there’s the solemn but witty and candid neighbour’s child, Sami, who, going through puberty and gender considerations, chooses Wolff as her confidante. It’s an odd but endearing rela- tionship where it is obvious the attention Ruth gives him or her is welcomed and needed. PR still advises her to be silent and not respond, however, a TV political debate program want her on the show to defend her decision. After a confrontation with the child’s father, her identity is now in jeopardy. She resigns from her directorship, effective immediately. Copley opposes with logic - a brilliant speech about humanity Mariah Louca, Joy Richardson and Juliet Stevenson in The Doctor “It’s over when there’s a body.”