Risk

Risk is a central theme in the play, explored through the contrasting perspectives on two seemingly disparate yet symbolically linked risks: Jenny’s decision not to vaccinate her daughter Amy, and Alice’s participation in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiment at CERN, which carries the hypothetical risk of creating a black hole. By juxtaposing these risks, the play invites the audience to reflect on the nature of risk itself—how it is perceived, evaluated, and acted upon based on personal, scientific, and moral frameworks.

Jenny’s decision not to vaccinate Amy reflects her mistrust of scientific authority and her reliance on anecdotal evidence and personal instinct. To Jenny, the potential side effects of vaccines outweigh the benefits, despite scientific consensus to the contrary. However, the play’s final scene complicates the moral judgment of her decision. Jenny learns that the risks she unknowingly took during...