Details

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.

Cast/Performers

John Heffernan (J. Robert Oppenheimer), Ben Allen, Ross Armstrong, Daniel Boyd, Vincent Carmichael, Laura Cubitt

Creatives/Company

Author: Tom Morton-Smith
Producer: Royal Shakespeare Company
Director(s): Angus Jackson, Scott Ambler (movement)
Design: Robert Innes Hopkins
Lighting: Paul Anderson
Music: Grant Olding
Sound: Christopher Shutt