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For enthusiasts of Charles Darwin, the Natural History Museum in London is the ultimate destination. The museum holds the world's most extensive collection of works by and about Darwin, along with a selection of specimens he gathered during his historic travels. According to The Guardian, this will soon include a theatrical presentation—a puppet drama about the naturalist's formative years.
The play, titled The Wider Earth, uses 30 puppets and seven actors to depict Darwin’s coming-of-age story. At just 22 years old, Darwin embarked on his five-year voyage aboard the HMS Beagle, which shaped his revolutionary theories on evolution. The drama illustrates his journey partly through original illustrations from the expedition. The puppets showcase animals Darwin encountered, including a giant Galapagos tortoise, an Amazonian iguana, and an Arctic tern.
The two-hour production, designed for adult audiences, will run from October 2 to December 30, 2018, at the Natural History Museum in London.
Prudence Upton, © Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London (2018)The Natural History Museum is the perfect setting for a production about Darwin. To reach the theater, visitors will pass through the Darwin Center, which is home to 22 million zoological specimens, including some that Darwin himself collected during his 1830s voyage on the Beagle.
"During his voyage, Charles Darwin gathered specimens that not only inspired his theory of evolution but also transformed our understanding of the world—specimens that are still housed at the Museum and remain vital to ongoing global scientific research," explained Clare Matterson of the Natural History Museum in a press release about the play.
After premiering in Australia in 2016, this production will mark the play's European debut. It will also be the first time the Natural History Museum has created a performance venue within its walls, transforming the Jerwood Gallery into a 357-seat theater for the performance.
