by Craig Baxter

Directed by Patrick Morris

Trailer for Let Newton Be! 2011

The production toured the UK & US in 2011 and received fantastic reviews!

“Nature and Nature’s laws lay hid in night:

God said, Let Newton be! and all was light.”

Alexander Pope

Isaac Newton – heretic, alchemist, scientist.  An iconic figure whose shadow looms large, while remaining a mystery to many.  A devout, difficult, obsessive man who sought and found God in universal laws of light and motion.

These brilliant discoveries and innovations were part of a greater project that took in other, more dangerous ideas which he was forced to keep secret.

Let Newton Be! lifts the veil and holds him up to the very light that he tried so hard to understand.  Award-winning playwright Craig Baxter focuses on the clash of scientific discovery with religious fanaticism, to tell a story of obsession and possession.

Using only the words of Newton, and those of his contemporaries, we see him as farm boy genius, secretive scholar and wiley politician.  Above all, here is Newton as a human being – unique, comical, and relentlessly driven by his own curiosity.

The latest reviews and interviews (2011)

See more production shots here & see more rehearsal shots here

When it previewed in 2009, the play received a rave review from Science Magazine:

Can theatre be a platform for science?  In the hands of Baxter, Morris and Menagerie Theatre – yes.  Spectacularly yes…Baxter creates a unified Newton who will awe and move modern audiences.

Click here to read the full review. See below for a sneak preview.

If you would like more information on the production, please contact Patrick Morris on patrick@menagerie.uk.com.

Designed by Issam Kourbaj, Artist in Residence, Christ’s College

Commissioned by the Faraday Institute, Cambridge University.

Supported by Cambridge University Press.