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Hanging Hooke

Hanging Hooke - A new play by Siobhán Nicholas


Christopher Wren loved him


Isaac Newton loathed him

 

 

He provoked intense loyalty, controversy, jealousy and hatred. A genius of the 17th century: Architect, Engineer, Chemist, Horologist, Physicist, Astronomer, Painter, even Musician. His recently unearthed manuscript sold for millions. But was 'London's Leonardo' buried by another Da Vinci plot? In hot-blooded times, passions explode.History is on trial. Robert Hooke - your time has come.

Actor: Chris Barnes

Direction: Siobhán Nicholas and Chris Barnes

Dramaturge: Annie Castledine

Design Consultant and Costumes: Lizzie Wyllie Sound: Owen Johnston Lighting Design: Emily Laurens Stage Manager: Adam Moore

Research Support: Joanna Corden of the Royal Society Library, Professor Lisa Jardine

Science Mentors: Victoria Gould, John Meaney, Richard Vahrman

Special Thanks to Kath Perry [Grassroots], Roger McCann [The Arts Council], Brian Kirk [Yvonne Arnaud Theatre], Tony Milner [New Vic Workshop], Alister and Miranda O'loughlin at The Nightingale Theatre for their support in the development stage.

Image and Graphics: Ken Hodgeson of Good Dog Design

An extract of Hanging Hooke:

 

 
 
Background


Was Robert Hooke [1635 to 1703] our English Leonardo?

Like Da Vinci he was a fine artist, an accomplished architect and engineer; he even designed a prototype flying machine. Moreover for over twenty years as Curator of Experiments for the Royal Society, he poured out a stream of brilliant concepts on [amongst others] universal gravity, evolution of species and atomic theory . he even anticipated the modern wave theory. Robert Hooke was one of the fathers of modern science and yet after his death, he was quite comprehensively written out of history; most scientists today only know of him for Hooke's Law and the rest of us . not at all!!

I came across this shadowy energetic genius quite accidentally and in the autumn of 2005, I decided to write this play. Then a couple of months later in January 2006, a Bonhams representative, having completed business in a Hampshire country house, was literally putting on his coat at the door, when the owner of the residence handed him a bound copy of five hundred fragile papers that had apparently been found in a cupboard. The manuscript was soon recognised to be the long lost notes of Robert Hooke!

The auction took place in March. I was there. At least three overseas collectors were represented that day and Bonhams expected bids to go up to four million. Many feared that Robert Hooke's Folio would disappear from English history again.

And yes I was one of those who clapped when finally the news came .

Siobhán Nicholas, November 2006
 
Tour Dates

We've also seen the deeply moving and sharply acted Hanging Hooke, a new play about lost 17th century genius, Robert Hooke. Bloody good acting, bloody good play. If you get even a quarter of a chance to catch it, go. You won't regret it. Actor Chris Barnes gives a tour de force performance. It was a pleasure to see it. 
Anne Brooke's Journal (More reviews below)

Autumn 2010

The Rose Theatre
24 - 26 High St, Kingston KT1 1HL
Mon 13th Sept at 7.30pm
Tickets on 0871 230 1552

The Stahl Theatre
Oundle School
Peterborough PE8 4GH
Tues 21st and Wed 22nd Sept at 7.45pm
Tickets on 01832 273930

Clwyd Theatr Cymru
Mold, Flintshire CH7 1YA
Fri 8th and Sat 9th Oct at 7.45pm
Tickets on 0845 330 3565

Chichester Festival Theatre
Minerva Theatre
Oaklands Park, Chichester, PO19 6AP
Fri 12th Nov at 7.45pm
Tickets on 01243 781312
 
Reviews and Tech Requirements

Plays International - South East Round Up Column
by Jeremy Malies

Eastbourne theatre-goers had a different experience at the Winter Garden with Siobhán Nicholas' Hanging   Hooke which concerns the polymath Robert Hooke (1635-1703), regarded by many as the English Leonardo. A prodigy, he was making serious speculations about evolution in his early teens while observing fossils on the Isle of Wight . He would go on to propose the inverse square law for gravity and be treated shamefully by his contemporary Isaac Newton.

Hooke was the first person to use the word "cell" when referring to living matter and the first to report the rotation of Mars. He observed lunar craters, invented the thermometer, suggested a wave theory of light and considered whether its speed might be infinite. Combining chemistry and optics with architecture, he assisted his former school classmate Christopher Wren in rebuilding London after the Great Fire of 1665 and designed both the Greenwich Observatory and the 'Bedlam' Hospital.

Having gleaned a little information from preview blurb I trudged dutifully to this piece expecting a helping of poor man's Michael Frayn, perhaps a clumsy seventeenth-century version of Copenhagen jumping on the current bandwagons of verbatim theatre and popular science. The play is a reminder that as a regional theatre reporter you have to kiss a lot of frogs. This is the most wonderful piece of new writing I have seen in years.

It is a one-hander performed by co-director Chris Barnes who has exceptional insight into Hooke, making him personable while stressing the towering nature of the subject's intellect. Barnes is consistently impressive, showing first-rate technique when transforming himself from Hooke's mentor, the portrait painter and miniaturist John Hoskins, into the scientist himself.

But it is the quality of the writing which deserves most praise. With arresting and disarming opening lines such as "Bloody civil war, it's not a good time to travel!", Siobhán Nicholas draws the audience into her world effortlessly. A notable optical engineer, Hooke describes the microscope as revealing "a honeycomb of tiny rooms" and this is an appropriate metaphor for Nicholas' writing which is multi-layered but lucid at all times.

The playwright has an unerring eye for telling human details and picks them out against a background of the vast sweep of science. But she is rarely intrusive and like the painter Hoskins, soon immerses herself and the audience in the subject matter. The structure has a beguiling symmetry as Hoskins talks about his pupil and the scientist then recalls his one-time mentor. Hanging Hooke is about to tour nationally and most of the narrative cats should be left in the bag but I can say that an inspired use of voice over as the storyline comes out of its time frame and reaches a climax had me punching the air for joy.

The piece is funded by the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford , and the New Vic. It benefits from a simple but credible set in which scientific instruments complement an enlarged image of Hooke's manuscripts. Incidental music - some of it twentieth century - is chosen judiciously. The play is presented by Take The Space in association with Sussex-based New Vic Workshop whose recent Telstar transferred immediately from the south coast to the West End .

Not once does Siobhán Nicholas take an easy, lazy option in the writing. She has a gossamer touch with historical narrative and is linguistically inventive. Nicholas is also consistently witty as she toys with the audience's prescience and lays out before us the path of physics right up to Einstein. This is an outstanding play.

 

Daily Info, Oxford
 

Burton Taylor Studio, Thu March 13th - Sat March 15th 2008

This is an enthralling piece of theatre for two reasons. One, the subject matter is absolutely riveting – it tells the story of (almost) forgotten genius Robert Hooke, a polymath who included draughtsmanship, architecture, engineering, mathematics, and the emerging study of “natural philosophy” among the many interests and activities at which he excelled. Born with a deformed spine and coming from a poorish family – his father was a country parson – he attracted mentors, got an excellent education, and was for many years the Curator of Experiments at the Royal Society. He was friends with and worked with the richer and better connected Boyle and Wren, but was never publicly rewarded in the same way, largely because of his famous and unedifying quarrels with Sir Isaac Newton, the éminence grise who blighted his hopes and, according to this play, nicked all his best ideas and passed them off as his own. Newton detested Hooke and did his best to eradicate him from history, destroying his portrait at the Royal Society (there is now no authentic image of Hooke) and he is only now receiving proper credit for all the important things he achieved. 
 
The second reason is the performance of Chris Barnes. This is a one-man show and he is the man. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an actor work so hard for his living – he even delivered an entire speech while standing on his head at one point, which would be most impressive even in a fit young whippersnapper, but for a chap who’s not going to see fifty again and is probably sneaking up on sixty it was amazing. He looks a bit like Mervyn Peake’s drawing of Barquentine from Gormenghast – piercing eyes, a magnificently contoured nose reminiscent of Dartmoor, wild shoulder length grizzled hair. He started out at Jack Hoskyns, Hooke’s first mentor and friend, who later betrayed him by acting as a spy for Newton because of his membership of the secret society of the Rosy Cross, then metamorphosed into Hooke himself. His telling of the story was a tremendously dynamic, agonized, energized performance – like the Ancient Mariner, he wanted you to know his story, needed you to listen so badly, the tension was palpable as the sweat poured down his face. At last, unburdened of his final revelation, he relaxed to the audience’s frantic applause. It was a really memorable hour and a half. The Burton Taylor Studio is small and the theatrical experience intimate, intense. Rush out and get tickets now before it’s too late!
 
Andrea Hopkins 14/03/08 

Review of Hanging Hooke at the Devonshire Park Theatre by Roger Paine.

IT IS DIFFICULT to conclude which was the more enthralling.

The life and times of Robert Hooke, 17th century inventor, microscopist, physicist, surveyor, astronomer, linguist, biologist, musician and artist who is the subject of this play written by Siobhan Nicholas, the fourth in the New Vic Workshop's Solo Season, or the riveting portrayal of this forgotten polymath by Chris Barnes, who also co-directed the play with Siobhan. Few, if any, in the audience would have heard of Robert Hooke before seeing the play. Yet this crippled son of a curate born in 1635, went on to become Surveyor of the City of London after the Great Fire, and a Fellow and Secretary of the Royal Society. For 40 years in the Age of Enlightenment, Hooke rubbed shoulders with legendary figures such as Christopher Wren and Isaac Newton. Sometimes known as the 'English Leonardo da Vinci',  his immense achievements were inspirational and long-lasting.  Chris Barnes first introduces Hooke through the eyes of John Hoskins, an artist painting Hooke's portrait, who had befriended him during his boyhood on the Isle of Wight.

This sets the scene for Barnes' portrayal of Hooke himself. Long, dishevelled hair, gaunt-eyed and dressed in funereal black he limps mesmerisingly around the stage describing the qualities of springs and elasticity, the forces of gravity affecting the sun and planets, or standing on his head to demonstrate an experiment in respiration.

Intertwined with this gripping historical staging were original twenty-first century elements, including the voice of a Bonhams auctioneer in 2006 when Hooke's scientific manuscripts, 'lost' for 300 years, wereestimated to fetch £4 million. These contemporary touches, plus a pulsing heart-beat to signify the passage of time, combined seamlessly to create a spell-binding production.

The Eastbourne Herald,

Friday June 22nd 2007

Tech Requirements:

This production has been devised to accommodate any stage or space from drawing room to mid scale for any audience anywhere - anytime.
Marketing Support: A6 card fliers, A3 Posters
Totally Flexible Staging: quick get in with small set/no flats
Tech Requirements: Minimal Lighting and Sound
Fee: £600.00 Negotiable
Outreach Work Available: Workshops and Post Show Discussions (Fee Negotiable]
 
Previous Hooke Dates PDF Print E-mail
Written by Administrator   
Thursday, 22 July 2010 14:36

 

Spring 2010

The Mill at
Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
Surrey GU1 3UX
Sat 30th Jan at 8pm
Tickets on 01483 44 00 00
www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

The Worshipful Company of Actuaries
at Staple Inn Hall
Staple Inn, High Holborn, London WC1V 7QJ
Tues 2nd Feb at 6.30 and Wed 3rd Feb at 7pm
www.sias.org.uk

The Fire Station
Centre for Arts and Culture
Windsor SL4 3BL
Friday 26th Feb at 8pm
Tickets on 01753 866 865
www.firestationartscentre.com

The Studio at Lighthouse
Poole's Centre for the Arts
Poole, Dorset BH15 1UG
Wed 5th and Thurs 6th May at 7.30pm
Tickets on 0844 406 8666
www.lighthousepoole.co.uk

The O'Reilly Theatre at Keble College
Oxford University, Blackhall Rd, Oxford
Tues 25th and Wed 26th May at 7.30pm
Tickets on 01865 305305
www.oxfordplayhouse.com

 

Performances in 2009

Burton Taylor Studio @ Oxford Playhouse
Gloucestershire St, Oxford OX1 2BN
Wednesday 15th April at 7.30pm
Tickets 01865 30 53 05
www.burtontaylor.co.uk


Ondaatje Wing Theatre
National Portrait Gallery
St Martin's Place, London WC2H OHE
Thursday 30th April at 19.00
Tickets 020 73 06 0055
www.npg.org.uk/events

Greenwich Theatre
Crooms Hill, London SE10 8ES
Friday 1st May at 7.30pm
Tickets on 020 8858 7755
www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk

Lyme Regis Fossil Festival
The Marine Theatre
Church st, Lyme Regis DT7 3QB   
Thursday 8th October at 7.30pm
Tickets 01297 442138
www.evolutionrocks.net

Southport Arts Centre
Lord St, Southport PR8 1DB
Thursday 8th October at 7.30pm
Tickets on 01704 540011
www.seftonarts.co.uk

The Performing Arts Centre at St John's International School
Dreve Richelle 146, 1410 Waterloo, Belgium
Mon 19th October at 8pm and Tues 20th October at 10am and 2pm
Tickets www.rsc.org / Royal Society of Chemistry, Belgium

The Nightingale Theatre
29- 30 Surrey St, Brighton, BN1 3PA
Thurs 5th Nov at 7pm
Tickets on 01273 709709
www.brightonticketshop.com

 

Further performances are planned. Please watch this space.

Previous Performances

2008

The Unity Theatre
1 Hope Place
Liverpool L1 9BG
Wednesday 10th September at 8pm
Tickets 0151 709 4988
www.unitytheatre.co.uk

B2 Belgrade Theatre
Belgrade Square, Coventry CV1 1GS
Thurs 14th and Fri 15th February at 8pm
£9 and £11 [discounts £5 to £9]
Tickets 024 7655 3055
www.belgrade.co.uk

Burton Taylor Studio at Oxford Playhouse
Gloucester St, Oxford OX1 2BN
Thurs 13th and Sat 15th March at 7.30pm
£10 [discounts £8]
Tickets 01865 305305
www.burtontaylor.co.uk

Riverhouse
Manor Rd, Walton on Thames, Surrey, KT12 2PF
Fri 18th April at 8pm
£12 [discounts £10]
Tickets 01932 253354
www.riverhousebarn.co.uk

The Everyman Studio Theatre
Regent St, Cheltenham GL50 1HQ
Tues 22nd and Wed 23rd April at 7.45pm
And Sat 26th April at 8pm
£7.50 [discounts £6]
Tickets 01242 572573
www.everymantheatre.org.uk

The Space
An Táin at the Town Hall
Crowe St, Dundalk, Co Louth, Ireland
Wed 7th May at 8pm
€15 [discounts €12]
Tickets 00353 [0]42 939 2919
www.antaintheatre.com

The Playhouse
Orchard St, Derry, BT48 6EG
Sat 10th May at 8pm
£10 [discounts £7]
Tickets 028 7 126 8027
www.derryplayhouse.co.uk

Brighstone Wilberforce Hall
Main Rd, Brighstone, Isle of Wight
Sat 17th May at 7.30pm
£6
Tickets 01983 740295 / 823813

The Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers
The Glaziers Hall, 9 Montague Close, London SE1 9DD
Fri 30th November
Private performance

Previous Performances

2007

Mill Studio at Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
Millbrook, Surrey, GU1 3UX
Thurs Feb 1st, Fri Feb 2nd and Sat Feb 3rd at 8pm
£10.00 [Student standby £5.00]
Tickets 01483 44 00 00

Colchester Arts Centre
Church St, Colchester, Essex CO1 1NF
Wed Feb 7th at 8pm [doors open 7.30pm]
£6.00 [concs £3.50]
Tickets 01206 500 900

The Hat Factory

65 – 67 Bute St, Luton, LU1 2EY
Fri 23rd Feb at 8pm
£8.00 [concs £5.00]
Tickets 01582 878100

The Maltings Arts Theatre
The Maltings, St Albans, Herts, AL1 3HL
Fri March 9th at 8pm
£8.00 [concs £6.00]
Tickets 01727 844222

Burton Taylor Studio at Oxford Playhouse
Gloucester St, Oxford. OX1 2BN
Sun 18th March at 5pm, Mon 19th March and
Tues 20th March at 7.30pm
£10.00 [£8.00 concs]
Tickets 01865 305305
www.burtontaylor.co.uk

Norwich Arts Centre
Reeves Yard, St Benedict St, Norwich NR2 4PG
Tues April 3rd at 7.30pm
£6.00 [concs £4.00]
Tickets 01603 660352

Other Space Studio, Everyman Theatre
Regent St, Cheltenham, GL50 1HQ
Thurs April 19th, Fri April 20th and Sat April 21st
at 7.45pm
£7.50 [£6.00 concs]
Tickets 01242 572573
www.everymantheatre.org.uk

The Anthony Mingella Theatre at Quay Arts
Sea St, Newport, PO30 5BD, Isle of Wight
Wed 16th May at 8pm
£10.00
Tickets 01983 822490

Ashcroft Arts Centre
Osborn Rd, Fareham, Hampshire PO16 7DX
Thursday 17th May at 8pm
£10.00 [£9.00 concs]
Tickets on 01329 310600

The Steyning Festival at The Space
Steyning Grammar School, Shooting Field
Sat June 2nd at 7.30pm
£8.00 [concs £4.00]
Tickets 01903 812062
www.steyningfestival.co.uk

Devonshire Park Theatre
Compton St, Eastbourne, BN 21 4BP
Thurs June 14th at 7.45pm
£12.00 [concs £10, students £5.00]
Tickets 01323 412000

The Mill Studio at Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
Millbrook, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 3UX
Thurs 21st June and Sat 23rd June at 8pm
£10.00 [student standby £5.00]
Tickets 01483 44 00 00

Havant Arts Centre 
East St, Havant, Hants, PO9 1BS
Fri 28th September at 8pm
£8.95 [concs £7.25]
Tickets 023 9247 2700

Central Studio 
Cliddesden Rd, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 3HF
Thurs 27 th September at 7.45pm
£10.00 [concs £8.50, students £5.00]
Tickets 01256 418318 
www.centralstudio.co.uk

Havant Arts Centre 
East St, Havant, Hants, PO9 1BS
Fri 28 th September at 8pm
£8.95 [concs £7.25]
Tickets 023 9247 2700

The Grange Leisure Centre 
Bepton Rd, Midhurst, GU29 9HD
Sat 29 th September at 8pm
£8.00 [concs £4.00]
Tickets 01730 816841 / 812961

The Capitol Studio Horsham 
North St, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1RG
Thurs 18 th October at 8pm
£9.00 [concs £7.00]
Tickets 01403 750220
www.thecapitolhorsham.com

The Miskin Theatre at North West Kent College
Oakfield Lane, Dartford, Kent DA1 2JT
Tues 30 th and Wed 31 st October at 7.30pm
£10.00 [concs £7.50]
Tickets 01322 629422

The Nightingale Theatre 
29 –30 Surrey St, opposite Brighton Station, BN1 3PA
Fri 9 th and Sat 10 th November at 8pm
£8.50 [concs £6.50]
Tickets 01273 709709
www.nightingaletheatre.co.uk

The Old Town Hall
High St, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP1 3AE
Wed 5 th December at 8pm
£10.00 [concs £8.00]
Tickets 01442 228091