Full Company Announced For THE LIFE OF GALILEO At Chichester Festival Theatre

David Calder and Nicholas Le Prevost will join Henry Goodman in The Life of Galileo by Bertolt Brecht, in David Edgar's revised translation, directed by Jonathan Church, running at Chichester Festival Theatre from 24 April - 16 May with a press night on 29 April.

Singer/songwriter Anoushka Lucas, whose performing credits include Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent's Park Theatre, will co-compose music for the production (with Matthew Scott) as well as appearing as a Balladeer.

The full company is Henry Goodman, Oscar Batterham, Ashley Byam, David Calder, Gunnar Cauthery, William Chubb, Branwell Donaghey, Pip Donaghy, Poppy Gilbert, Oliver Grant, Guy Hughes, Rosalind James, Nicholas Le Prevost, Anoushka Lucas, Jon Trenchard and Sharlene Whyte, with Quincy Miller-Cole, Raphael Higgins-Humes, Will Tarpey and Caleb Wood sharing the juvenile roles.

1609. Galileo Galilei is a teacher of mathematics at the University of Padua. The establishment orthodoxy - which he's been teaching to private pupils for years - is that the sun revolves round the earth, which is the centre of the universe. The theory confirms the scriptures and pays the bills.

Now, with the help of a newly-invented telescope, Galileo is starting to look at the universe afresh. And the more he looks, the more he sees, including mountains on the moon and strange stars around Jupiter. His discoveries not only support the heretical idea that the earth moves round the sun, they give rise to urgent new questions too. What if the earth is just another star? And if the church is wrong about the heavens, might it be wrong about how things are here on earth?

Brilliant minds have been burnt alive for asking such questions. Because though this is the age of science and discovery, it is also the age of the Inquisition.

Bertolt Brecht revised his epic play about the battle between scientific reason, the power of religion, and human responsibility in response to the apocalyptic events of the middle of the twentieth century. David Edgar has revised and updated his translation for this production; his adaptations also include Nicholas Nickleby and The Master Builder, both seen at CFT.

Making welcome returns to Chichester are Director Jonathan Church, who was Artistic Director 2006-16; and Henry Goodman who plays the title role, following his appearances in Yes, Prime Minister (2010) and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (2012/13).

David Calder, whose extensive theatre work recently includes the title role in Julius Caesar (Bridge Theatre), makes his Chichester debut as The Cardinal Inquisitor. Nicholas Le Prevost (Sagredo/Cardinal Bellarmin) returns to the Festival Theatre, where his most recent appearance was in A Marvellous Year for Plums (2012).

The Life of Galileo will be designed by Simon Higlett, with lighting by Mark Henderson, music by Matthew Scott and Anoushka Lucas, sound by Paul Groothuis, video by Dick Straker, movement by Jenny Arnold, associate director Jenny Ogilvie, casting by Juliet Horsley and children's casting by Verity Naughton.

The Life of Galileo is sponsored by Reynolds Fine Furniture

To post a comment, you must register and login.