2021 Alton Fringe Theatre

“There is grandeur in this view of life ...

 from so simple a beginning endless forms

most beautiful and most wonderful

have been, and are being, evolved.”

Wonderful Life

The year 2009 combines two Darwinian anniversaries - 200 years from his birth (12 February) and 150 years from the publication of The Origin of Species (24 November). 2009 is also the 50th anniversary of the Cambridge lecture in which C. P. Snow famously deplored the gulf between the Two Cultures of Science and the Humanities.

Using original texts, letters, engravings, etc. our richly illustrated dramatised readings will set out to bridge this gulf by telling the human story of Darwin and his family and at the same time the fascinating scientific story of his voyage around the world in the Beagle. In other words, the genesis of, and reaction to, the central idea in modern biology.

Post-show discussion for those who wish to stay..

Cars approach from Old Odiham Road  and enter opposite the entrance to Alton cemetery

After the success of our January performances the production was revived in November  at the Phoenix Theatre in Bordon . This was the first time the Fringe has revived a production and its first appearance at the Phoenix. Penney and her team there were so welcoming and friendly that we hope it will not be our last!

The illustrations will include many (like the one above) from the cornucopia of original documents on www.darwin-online.org.uk , by kind permission of Dr John van Wyhe.

Web Resources

The Web currently provides a fabulous range of  Darwin resources - here are direct links to some of the best:

The Complete Works of Charles Darwin on Line - by Dr John van Wyhe of Cambridge University

Especially good on illustrations and original documents

About Darwin.com - especially good on details of the Beagle voyage, with beautifully-produced maps

The Darwin Big Idea Exhibition at the Natural History Museum