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Simon Turley’s Seeing Without Light was written as part of the Theatre Royal Plymouth’s Theatre of Science project, a collaboration between writers, actors and scientists which has resulted in three new plays. The project hoped to bring together the worlds of science and art, challenging attitudes in both.
Science meeting art is nothing new. Long before Darwin challenged the Romantics' view of the world, artists have tried to engage and debate with the world of science. Damien Hurst’s recent pseudo-science installations are only the most recent examples. Hurst would appear to be a large part of Turley’s inspirations here. His play centres around Rachel, a research scientist looking to develop a gene therapy for HIV, and Hurst-like Paul, her conceptual artist partner, who is developing a show for Tate Modern. Paul’s assistant, Dan, has just lost a lover to HIV. Hawa is a Nairobi prostitute who seems to have developed immunity to the virus. Their lives intermingle, career jealousies abound and, as the action takes us from London to Africa, the work of both scientist and artist collide.
The play asks questions about the responsibilities of both artists and scientists to their work, and explores attitudes both in the developed and developing world to HIV and gene therapy. Beyond this, it is largely a play about the breakdown of a relationship, when two worlds, that perhaps surprisingly have much in common, can’t come to terms with their differences.
Written largely as an educational vehicle funded by the Wellcome Trust, the play nonetheless stands as a piece of drama.
Michael Nobbs
It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgement should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council.
Gellir defnyddio’r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatad Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru.
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