When we think of the famous author of The Origin of Species, we see an old man with white hair and a beard. The Natural History Museum's new production presents him as a fresh-faced and enthusiastic naturalist of merely 22 years. The Wider Earth's presents the Beagle's voyage that influenced Darwin's whole life.
The play is a new departure for the Natural History Museum. This museum is permanently associated in my mind with numerous family trips to see dinosaurs. My expectations were not high as I headed to a preview.As soon as I walked into the new theatre, I saw bright lights and a contrastingly dark, irregularly-shaped stage. This was something different.
A minimal cast plays the key characters in Darwin's voyage and life. The puppets are no ordinary puppets. They are representations of the unusual creatures that Darwin discovers on the other side of the world. The puppetry is in the same style and by the same team as War Horse.
My second-row seat gave me a great view of the workings of the puppets, if not of the video backdrop. I could appreciate how well the young actor conveys Darwin's rapture at each fresh discovery.
The script dramatises key moments in the 5-year voyage that influence the young naturalist's whole life. Darwin argues with the temperamental captain. We see the beginnings of a crisis in faith and religion that his fascinating discoveries later engender.
I looked around at the rest of the audience at the end. I noticed that the Natural History Museum had succeeded in attracting a young adult audience. Maybe they've found the right formula to attract that elusive young target audience back into museums?
The Wider Earth
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