In 1992, the students working on the post-examination project took on the demanding modern script of the play Sarcophagus, by Vladimir Gubarev, which focuses on the Chernobyl disaster. As Science Editor for the newspaper Pravda, Gubarev was one of the first reporters to visit the scene after the explosion of the nuclear reactor. Deeply affected by what he witnessed, he chose to write a play dramatizing the plight of radiation victims, as he had felt unable to be sufficiently open in his role as a journalist.
Set in the medical research section of the Institute for Radiation Safety, the play depicts doctors caring for their patients as they struggle to deal with the aftermath of the disaster, and come to terms with its consequences. It provides a grim assessment of the negligence and corruption responsible.
Top left: Cast and crew in the Performing Arts Studio, including: Alexandra Harrington (now a Senior Lecturer and Director of Studies in the Russian Department at Durham University); Jane Everett; Lois Beaver; John Butler; Hazel Rodrigues; David Neeley; Richard Barley; Waclav Kujawinski; Benet Vincent; Richard Damerell; Mark Daniels; Penny McMillin; Tony Hall; Sarah Jenkins and Hugh Ditmas.
Bottom left: The back of the set for Sarcophagus featured a row of cubicles for the patients of the institute. They include the Director of the Atomic Power Station, a Geiger-counter operator, a fireman who has been working to put out the fires caused by the explosion, and a passing cyclist.