Caryl Churchill explores the consequences and pitfalls of the artificial creation of humans. Bernard's belief that he was an only child is shattered by the news that he has a number of cloned siblings sharing his exact DNA. In this two-man play, the balance of science and ethics becomes unsettled; the repercussions of this fall harshly on a father and his son. Churchill's exploration of human cloning also tackles the importance of role models in a child's upbringing, and vast differences between the genetically identical 'Bernards' shake up the plot of this drama.