The Fever Syndrome (NHB Modern Plays)

Dr Richard Myers, the great IVF innovator, is virtually a secular saint because of the thousands of babies he has created throughout his career. Now, his family have gathered at his home on Manhattan's Upper West Side to see him receive a lifetime achievement award.

It's not long before this fractious group, more accustomed to debate than empathy, fall into dispute once again: over conflicting Thanksgiving memories, polarised opinions on investment banking, and how best to care for their ailing father. And crucially, who will inherit Richard's wealth and his prestigious science institution?

A vivid and thrilling portrait of a brilliantly dysfunctional family, Alexis Zegerman's The Fever Syndrome was first produced at Hampstead Theatre, London, in March 2022, directed by Roxana Silbert.

Auteur

Alexis Zegerman is a British actress and writer.

She won a British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Mike Leigh's 2008 film Happy-Go-Lucky. Other acting credits include: the original cast of Leigh's play Two Thousand Years (National Theatre, London, 2005); Caryl Churchill's play Seven Jewish Children (Royal Court Theatre, 2009); Arnold Wesker's play Chicken Soup with Barley (Royal Court Theatre, 2011); Nicholas Wright's play Travelling Light (National Theatre, 2012); and Tom Stoppard's play Leopoldstadt (West End, 2020).

As a writer, her plays include: Lucky Seven (Hampstead Theatre, 2008); Holy Sh!t (Kiln Theatre, London, 2018) and The Fever Syndrome (Hampstead Theatre, 2022).