In the classic courtroom drama A Few Good Men Colonel Jack Nicholson says to young attorney Tom Cruise ‘you can’t handle the truth’. In a nutshell this is the story of LIFE OF GALILEO.   Galileo comes up with findings that the powers of the time refuse to accept, and they go on to persecute him.

With the use of the new telescope technology  Galileo discovered that the earth is not the centre of the universe as the Church so ardently believed, that the universe is a much more chaotic and anarchic ‘system’ than anyone could passionately imagine.

The Church was aghast at his findings and ends up putting the Inquisition onto him.

Colin Friels gives a good performance as the great Galileo, a scientist ahead of his time. He conveys all the manic energy which genius is associated with.

Peter Carroll  gives another captivating and often comic performance as the newly ordained Pope. In one of the main scenes in the play we see Carroll being robed as the Pope garment by garment.

Sonia Todd gives a good performance as the officious Vice Chancellor of the University where Galileo carries out his work.

Damien Ryan is suitably harsh as the Cardinal Inquisitor.

Yaishnavi Suruyaprakash gives a good performance as Andrea one of Galileo’s best students who Galileo has a close working relationship with. It is her whom Galileo turns to in his ‘darkest hour’.

Eamon Flack’s production  is not the original Bertolt Brecht production but an adaptation  by Tom Wright.  Wright’s script contemporaries the text a lot and makes us think  of contemporary parallels to the situation, especially in regards to climate change and how sceptics refuse to accept the hard and proven truths  which scientists are presenting us wth.

Recommended, LIFE OF GALILEO is playing upstairs at Belvoir Street Theatre, 25 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills until Sunday 15th September 2019.