The Museum da Vida at Rio de Janeiro will present Theatr na n’Óg’s intriguing and exciting play about Alfred Russel Wallace, the co-inventor of Origin of Species.
Luisa Massarani, Director of the Museum is thrilled to produce the play in Brazil and he said: “The Museum is linked to the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, a top research institution linked to the Ministry of Health, and we are located in the poorest and biggest concentration of slums of Latin America, and we would be spreading the voice on Wallace among low income communities.”
You Should Ask Wallace is a play that tells the true story of the brilliant Welsh naturalist who discovers the Theory of Evolution and then shares the idea with Charles Darwin, propelling Darwin to publish his seminal work, Origin of Species.
Little is known of Wallace the self-taught scientist, who was born in Llanbadoc, Monmouthshire. He spent his formative years in Neath, surveying the land for the railways, before venturing into the wilds of the Amazon to collect and examine new species as part of his endeavor to discover the theory of evolution.
The play’s performance in Portugese will coincide with the opening of a new exhibition on how the Brazilian biodiversity inspired Wallace and Darwin to consolidate the evolution theory.
Geinor Styles, artistic director of Theatr na n’Óg who are based in Neath, explains “Alfred Russel Wallace began his first expedition to the Amazon from Neath, and Theatr na n’Óg are following in his footsteps with his story. This project demonstrates that theatre work created by a small local company in Wales has global appeal. We are very excited that thousands of children from some of the poorest areas of Rio will have an opportunity to see the work, and learn about such an important event in history.”
In collaboration with Swansea Museum, Theatr na n’Óg will also perform the production for young people in Swansea, Neath-Port Talbot and Bridgend. Performed daily at the Dylan Thomas Theatre in Swansea for 3 months, with weekly evening public performances, it will be the longest running theatre production for children in Wales this year.
Theatr na n’Óg values its funding from the Arts Council of Wales, and the local authorities of Swansea, Neath-Port Talbot and Bridgend.
For further information please contact [email protected] 01639 641 771
