27 is a new play by BAFTA-award winning writer Abi Morgan who created the screenplays for The Iron Lady (for which Meryl Streep recently won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher) and Shame (directed by Steve McQueen and starring Michael Fassbender). Her recent television series The Hour was a huge hit on BBC2 in 2011 and has been commissioned for a second series. Her plays include Skinned, Sleeping Around, Tiny Dynamite and Lovesong.

In 27, American scientist Dr Richard Garfield has given Ursula a difficult choice. She is soon to become the mother superior of a convent that has been given the opportunity to take part in his revolutionary scientific study. Crucially, this study would require that the nuns donate their brains after death to potentially unlock the mysteries of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Ursula must weigh up the value of preserving her faith, versus embracing science for the potential benefit of all.

27 is a play about loneliness, ageing, science and the loss of our sense of self. Drawing on research contained within the book Aging with Grace by Dr David Snowdon, it is an examination of a lifestyle in decline, but one whose dignity and faith could hold the key to some of the most urgent issues of our times – our ageing population and the decline of our minds.