While many of us spent lockdown baking bread or binging Netflix, inspiration hit Laura and Paul like an apple on the head.
While taking a stroll, Paul remarked on the contrast between how people kept busy in the COVID-19 pandemic and what Sir Isaac Newton got up to when he was in his own ‘lockdown’ to escape the bubonic plague.
Behind the scientist, Paul and Laura discovered the spiritual journey of a man who was going to change the world – and they decided to create a new musical drama, Newton, to showcase just that.
Paul knew a lot about Sir Isaac, but for Laura, who comes from a background in the arts, the scientist was initially a mystery.
After researching Sir Isaac’s story, Laura shared with Pinnernews how quickly the play came about: “In my head, I started conjuring up the stage, the dancing, the songs. It just came alive.”
With Paul guiding the scientific details and Laura bringing her creativity, the duo wrote most of the musical in Pinner and Hatch End, crafting a piece that blends music, movement, and history.
Sir Isaac’s religious convictions and alchemical experiments may often be overlooked, but they have become the heart of this production.
Paul explained: “He believed he was on a divine mission from God. For him, science wasn’t separate from spirituality but a way of uncovering God’s reality.”
Enlisting the support of Harrow Opera composer Ezra Williams, the music pulls from classical influences while adding lyrical ballads.
A performance of Newton will take place at Rosslyn Hill Chapel in London on Friday, October 31. Find out more at www.ticketsource.co.uk/newton
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