A man walks amidst old furniture covered in white blankets, and as he looks at us through his spectacles and begins to address us, the theatre fills with the spirit of Alfred Russell Wallace. His life and work are relatively unknown because he has been overshadowed by fellow evolutionist Charles Darwin, but this play, which takes us back to the beginnings of his fascination with nature, proves him to to worthy of our attention. An engrossing narrative blows the dust off history and takes us into Wallace’s voyages to the dense Amazon rainforest, uncovering the curiosity which was the basis for his evolutionary theories, while Ioan Hefin’s solo performance conveys Wallace’s passion for nature beautifully.

Venue 13, until 21 Aug, 11.45am.
tw rating 4/5 | [Natalia Equihua]