Panacea

Panacea examines the moral complexities of scientific innovation through the story of Professor Augustus ‘Gus’ Jamieson, a researcher with ASD, who is developing a revolutionary infectious vaccine. As Gus navigates the competing demands of academia, ambition and love, he is forced to confront the darker implications of progress, raising timely questions about the true cost of discovery and the responsibilities that accompany scientific advancement.

The play was born from a collaboration between microbiologist Andrew Singer and theatre-maker Christina James, whose background in psychoanalysis informs the work’s psychological depth. Inspired by the real-world ethical dilemmas facing scientists today, from antibiotics losing ground against mutating microbes to the threat of emerging global viruses, Panacea draws on cutting-edge research and debate. Developments in laboratories around the world to create infectious vaccines capable of being released into the environment suggest a future in which pandemics may be a thing of the past at the cost of humanity being left without ‘choice’. This provocative possibility provided the stimulus for Gus’ story, which Singer and James wrote and first presented at The Cockpit in January 2025.

The project has been made possible through the support of Digital Health Hub for AMR and ARREST-AMR, two UKRI-funded initiatives (EPSRC and BBSRC). Their investment reflects a shared belief in Panacea as a powerful vehicle for communicating complex science in accessible and engaging ways. By placing scientific debate on stage, the production brings critical global challenges into the cultural mainstream and invites wider public conversation.

Singer and James collaborate across science, policy and the arts to translate complex global issues into public understanding and action. Panacea marks their debut play. Singer is a leading researcher into environmental antimicrobial resistance, while James is a theatre-maker and academic.