Sir Isaac Newton, most famous for THAT apple, least famous for his invention of the cat flap. Either story may or may not be true. Newton, the Jekyll and Hyde of physics; a man of genius, who drank manure to cure flatulence. A man of the church, who did not believe in the Trinity. A rationalist, who sidelined in alchemy. A popular guest at 17th century soirees, he was a also loner and often unpleasant.
Jack Klaff, thespian, graduate of law and economics and lay scientist, examines many facets of Newton’s life, told through the eyes of Blake, Boswell, Dirac, Eddington, Einstein, Johnson, Keats, Maynard - and Usian Bolt, to name but a few. Therein lies one of the show’s problems. Klaff plays over twenty different characters himself, all essentially in the same Shakespearean manner with a few different accents. It’s very easy to lose track not only of who is speaking but also of which century we’re in. Newton, however, is portrayed as a nervous, introspective character and although this highlights a contrast between him and his admirers and detractors, it often simply means that you can't hear what he's saying.
Klaff fills the room with his presence, in surroundings which suggest we could be watching a performance at the Globe. His voice booms and his eyes connect with almost every member of the audience individually. It is both an intimate and disconcerting experience. Like a true thespian, Kalff even manages to encompass a ringing mobile phone into his performance in an insightful and amusing manner.
Newton’s Laws of Motion, refraction, wave particle duality, centrifugal forces and an incomprehensible code to do with his correspondence with Leibniz are all examined, alongside facts about his life. His unremarkable beginnings in Grantham (paving the way for others…), his life at Cambridge, his argument with Charles II, his fellowship, his investment failures - it makes your head (as well as the earth) spin just hearing about it. In fact, there are so many facts thrown at us in a monologue that goes on for 70 minutes that it is difficult to stay tuned.
Informative and, at times, entertaining, Newton, the last Magician, fails to conjure up quite enough of a magical performance.
