Miasma by Colin Murphy

Miasma is a gripping and accessible one-hour play about the fight against the cholera pandemic in 1840s–50s London, following the pioneering outsider doctor John Snow as he challenges medical orthodoxy and lays the foundations of modern epidemiology and data science. 

A medical detective story as much as a piece of drama, Miasma explores good science and bad science, groupthink and dissent, and the cost of standing against accepted wisdom when lives are at stake. 

Told by five actors, the play combines sharp storytelling, historical insight and contemporary relevance in a format that is engaging for specialist and non-specialist audiences alike. 

Miasma is a rare opportunity to experience a theatrical event that is intellectually rigorous, emotionally compelling and deeply relevant to contemporary conversations around public health, evidence-based decision-making and trust in science. 

Miasma illuminates themes of particular relevance to third-level students of medicine, science, social science and history.

Written by Colin Murphy, Directed by Samantha Cade Quotes