Playback Theatre - Galileo

Reviews from public and press

  Wonderful biography   03 Sep 2005
reviewer: Sean Davis, USA

This ranks 5th of the 151 acts I saw. This portrays the life of Galileo from the time of his first use of the telescope, until the secret release of his final book on astronomy. The use of puppets and outsized claw-like hands for the Grand Inquisitor worked very well. I felt I came to really understand the man, including his many foibles. The play provided an insightful slice of the time in which he had to live and investigate. What a wonderful way to end my Fringe experience! (Aug 29)

  One of the best   01 Sep 2005
reviewer: John Fetter, UK

I was recommended this show by a friend and went to see it entirely on her enthusiastic response. I was not disappointed. This was undoubtedly one of the best shows I have seen on the fringe. The acting was excellent, particularly the inteplay between Galileo and his family as compared with his relations with authority. Everyone was good in this show and the use of actors to play multiple parts, sometimes with the help of puppets, was exemplary. The settings were delightful, model theatre sets, that brought character and interest to the production. Someone sitting next to me said the show was brilliant at the end. I can only agree with her. Pity most of the critics missed this one.

  Glorious Galileo   22 Aug 2005
reviewer: Richard Johnson, Scotland

The tragedy and passion of Galelio's life was delightfully and powerfully presented. Galileo himself a tour de force from the middle aged genius to the stooped but still resilient aged figure brought down by the real villans of the inqusition. I found the sacrifice of the long suffering daughter to be particularly well done. A magnificent play the entire cast must be congratulated on their performance

  Criminally underseen gem   22 Aug 2005
reviewer: Mark Elliott, United Kingdom

A very, very good production which is clearly not garnering the box office or media interest it deserves. Excellently acted (particularly by Jeff Merrifield in the lead), with a well judged atmosphere that suggests both the wonder of discovery and the danger of holding heritical opinions, the production never drags or becomes overly-worthy. The many empty seats at this production simply means many people are missing out; this a fine performance of an excellent play and hopefully The Scotsman and others can go along and then spread the word!

  Gentle, enjoyable and thought provoking   17 Aug 2005
reviewer: Tom Carreyette, UK

When I saw the production it ran through without a hitch as far as I am aware, apart from my arriving hot foot from the other end of town just as it was beginning. I found it delightfully engaging, never over dramatic but with great underlying significance. Galileo came over very plausibly as a loveable rogue, though today we know he was a genius. His quest for truth about the heavens was treated delicately at first by the church authorities, but they ultimately silenced him as he tried to spread his new knowledge. I didn't realise it was a Brecht play until I got a chance to read the programme after. I was attracted by the subject – let's have more plays about the lives and struggles of scientists and innovators. I enjoyed the one about Tesla (alternating current man) a few years ago at the Fringe. Underlying significance of Galileo? Well there are parallels with today's issues of exploiting technology for mass commerce or warfare (as with Galileo's telescope) ethical issues of man ‘playing god', whether interpreting the heavens or developing GM techniques in medicine. Enjoyable and thought provoking.

  Go see it   16 Aug 2005
reviewer: sal, Sotland

An important subject dealt with well. There were no technical problems on the night I went but there was an audience problem - there weren't enough of them. These folks deserve better. The piece has a terrific script (as you'd expect from Brecht), Galileo is very believable, it zips along at a good pace. And the subject mater is IMPORTANT!

  Galileo - Educational, if a little slow   09 Aug 2005
reviewer: Guy Mason, England

The script from Brecht was excellent, and the whole production tried hard to be theatrical and educational. For the most part they succeeded. It was unfortunate that when we were there, they had some technical difficulties - if the actors hadn't kept referring to them, we may not have noticed! On the whole though, they perform with passion and feeling, and they knew their lengthy script well; we're just not sure how 'Brechtian' it was! Worth a visit, if only to experience something of the life of Galileo.

Galileo: Playback Theatre
Three Weeks review

Can God be displaced by reason? This was the question posed by Galileo, when he ‘abolished heaven' by suggesting that the Earth revolved around the Sun. This production explores the notion of truth, pitting reason against the church in a thought provoking interpretation of Brecht's classic play in which innovative projections allow the audience to witness Galileo's glimpses of the galaxy. The questions this play raises; the role of individual agency, and man's place in the universe are what makes this production worth watching. Three Weeks rating:

More pictures - copyright Patrick Anderson 2005: