THE GOD PARTICLE
By James Cary
Edinburgh Fringe August 1-25
This play is promoted as ‘a little bit Revmeets Hitchhiker’s Guide’ and unlike many West End productions it lives up to its promotion.
It is a romantic comedy sci-fi and, to quote from the website: ‘Dr. Bex Kenworthy from the Institute of Advanced Quantum Theory has been stood up by a lab-technician. When Dr. Gilbert Romans arrives, things are looking up, until she discovers he is, in fact, the new local vicar. A die-hard skeptical scientist and a heavenly-minded vicar seem to create entirely the wrong kind of chemical reaction. But there was undoubtedly a spark. On top of this, strange things are going on in the village of Threepiggs. Is there any link between exploding TV-detector vans, a disappearing vicar and the unexplained bending of time? Will science or faith prevail?’
Well crafted
James Cary is an award-winning comedy writer for radio and television with credits for work featuring Miranda Hart, Milton Jones and David Mitchell. Dr. Kenworthy is played by Abby Guinness and Dr. Romans by Ruben Crow. They were both excellent and did justice to Cary’s well-crafted and fast moving dialogue. Those with some knowledge of or interest in Christianity or the atheists’ approach to science will find it particularly stimulating. It could be a good start to a discussion of the issues of faith and science. An audio CD is available. Dr. Romans did not live up to his name as he appeared to have been willing to marry an atheist, but this will provide another conversation starter.
The programme, in the form of a church newsletter, was an amusing bonus. It gave the text of Psalm 90 and an explanation of Enoch’s translation, both of which point to the story line of time travel. A list of the scenes would have been helpful.
The ‘sold out’ audience at St. John’s, Woking, were very appreciative, although I felt that, while the setting in a traditional Anglican church emphasised the scenes set in a church, the production might be even more effective in a neutral location.
Does science or faith prevail? I recommend that you go and see the play, which is on a national tour. For further information see www.thegodparticleplay.com.
