When one of the tour dates for this intriguingly titled show is the Science Museum in London, you have a fair idea it is going to tilt at the educational as well as the entertaining. In reality, this bizarre mix of puppetry, masks and live action does exactly what it says on the tin - that is to tell the story of Dr Karl Ernst von Baer, the German biologist who as recently as 180 years ago discovered that women actually carry eggs within their bodies for males to fertilise.
Bolted on to this narrative, however, Bristol-based Full Beam Visual Theatre have set up a free-ranging exploration of our view of how humans are created, right from ancient Greeks to the medieval period through to the late 19th century invention of the vibrator. Some of these attachments allow the puppetry talents of the three cast members to come through strongly, notably in von Baer’s intellectual debates with a splendid plaster bust of Aristotle. Others, including a grave-robbing scene and the use of sexual manipulation to treat hysteria in women, are merely unpleasant.
Where the evening really falls down, though, is the failure of both writer Adam Fuller and director Lizzie Philps to bring any spark of interest or imagination to the home life of von Baer. You are left with the inevitable feeling that there must be easier ways of learning about the birds and the bees than watching him dissect an endless procession of cardboard cutout mammals.
Production information can change over the run of the show.
Content is copyright © 2012 The Stage Media Company Limited unless otherwise stated.
All RSS feeds are published for personal, non-commercial use. (What’s RSS?)
