Blood, guts and nasty cuts (family)
About this Event
At some point in our lives, we’ll all need medicine. But have you ever thought about where our modern medicine comes from? In this talk, we’ll take a whistle-stop tour through a history that’s as old as humankind – and still evolving.
Join historian and literary scholar Alanna Skuse as she explores the weird and wonderful ways that humans have treated accidents and illnesses, from magical remedies to robot surgeons, bloodletting to snake venom. Not just kings and battlefields, this is a story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
We’ll find out how our prehistoric ancestors treated a headache, why Renaissance healers were smarter than you’d think, and how intrepid experimenters gave us the medicines we use today.
Copies of Alanna’s latest book “Blood, Guts and Nasty Cuts” will be available to purchase after the talk.
This is a theatre event for children and adults to enjoy together. We recommend our family talks for children aged 7–13, though they can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages.
All young people under the age of 13 need to be accompanied by a paying adult and those aged 4 and above need a ticket to attend.
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Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 7.75 to GBP 21.20



















