Oppenheimer, by Tom Morton-Smith
Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
15 January - 7 March 2015
1939: fascism spreads across Europe, Franco marches on Barcelona and
two German chemists discover the processes of atomic fission. In
Berkeley, California, theoretical physicists recognise the horrendous
potential of this new science: a weapon that draws its power from the
very building blocks of the universe. The ambitious and charismatic J
Robert Oppenheimer finds himself uniquely placed to spearhead the
largest scientific undertaking in all of human history.
Struggling to cast off his radical past and thrust into a
position of power and authority, Oppenheimer races to win the 'battle of
the laboratories' and create a weapon so devastating that, with the
detonation of a single device, it would bring about an end not just to
the Second World War but to all war.
As the political situation darkens, Tom Morton-Smith's new
play takes us into the heart of the Manhattan Project and explores the
tension between the scientific advances that will shape our
understanding of the fabric of the universe, and the justification of
their use during wartime, revealing the personal cost of making history.
Directed by Angus Jackson whose recent credits include King Lear at Chichester Festival Theatre and Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Full details here.
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