Marie Curie

June 7, 2024

1st June – 28th July 2024

A new biographical musical about a celebrity. (Groan!) Who is the subject this time? A one hit wonder? A ‘90s boy band cashing in on fifty somethings’ nostalgia? Or perhaps an infamous pop personality famed for controversy? Think again! What does the name Marie Curie mean to you? If you’re thinking of a high street charity shop then seeing this powerful new musical will not only entertain you but provide a whirlwind education on the life and achievements of arguably one of the most accomplished scientists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The show was written by Seeun Choun and having enjoyed success in Korea and Japan now makes its London debut with the first English translation.

In 1891 Marie Sklodowska travelled to Paris from her home country of Poland to further her education where she studied physics and mathematics at the Sorbonne. She fought the prejudices of the time refusing to accept that being Polish and a woman should stop her succeeding in her ambition. Whilst studying she met Pierre Curie, a professor of the Sorbonne’s School of Physics and they married in 1895, sharing a lifetime dedicated to their profession.

As the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in 1903, and again in 1911, Curie was an inspiration to young women and in 1906 she became a professor at the University of Paris. But her success didn’t stop there.

As a physicist and chemist, Curie conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. Her commitment to her cause brought about life changing treatments for previously assumed terminal illness. However, behind the progress lurked a dark cloud.

This is by no means just a feel-good musical. This production celebrates the success of one individual and reflects the sad truth about the many victims who lost their lives from exposure to radium at a time when the risks were unknown.

A small ensemble cast drove this one hour forty-minute musical (without an interval so limit your pre-show alcohol consumption) with meaningful songs and inventive routines in keeping with the themes of the piece. A simple, clever set comprises a series of ceiling-high chalk boards covered in scientific equations and large moveable frames which depicted a range of scenes from homes to laboratories to hospitals. Luminous green paint is used sporadically and to good effect to represent the glow of radiation and suitable period costumes set the scene nicely.

The story is insightful, engaging and thought provoking and we enjoy seeing this bright, straight talking young woman outplay the patriarchy and fight for what she believes in. We feel the pain of the victims and compare the unethical acts of the twentieth centuries to those of corporations and governments today.

“This is an impressive show about an important female role model in our history…”

Crimes against the powerless often go unpunished and whilst this production certainly highlighted this injustice, I have to question some of the emotive ‘happy conclusions’ we see played out. The suggestion that victims who died of radium poisoning did so with forgiveness in the name of science is perhaps a little presumptuous and disrespectful.

The show is fast paced but there are missed opportunities. The loss of key figures in Curie’s life perhaps warrants a moment longer for the audience to digest.

Ailsa Davidson beautifully conveys the determination and discipline you’d expect of such a successful scientist, contrasted by Chrissie Bhima who gives an excellent, expressive and emotive performance as Curie’s friend Anne. There is a strong leading and ensemble cast including Richard Meek (Ruben DeLong) and Thomas Josling (Pierre Curie), as well as the versatile Christopher Killick.

Despite this production still having a few creases to iron out, the producers and creative team must be applauded for bucking the trend of populist culture musicals and investing in a story with depth and meaning. This is an impressive show about an important female role model in our history which will inspire young women in a very different way to the many other biographical shows currently running in the West End.