A performer stands on stage, in a run-down theatre that has forgotten better times, if it ever had them. There is a tense, electric atmosphere; despite their weary cynicism, the audience cannot help but wonder if what they've heard is true. The performer begins: he picks up a scalpel from the tray of medical equipment at his side, and starts to cut along the scarred side of his ribcage. The expressions of the spectators start to change: some are scared, some are entranced, some are repulsed. From the side, the performer's doctor watches, transfixed...