Photograph 51 (April, 2019)

Photograph 51

“A fine cast, great staging and excellent direction” - Review by Berenice Mann

Audience comments

"Amazing Performances!"

”The best theatre I have ever seen in Cambridge”

”I couldn’t believe this wasn’t a professional company”

"Theatre of the highest quality"

"Wonderful set and first class lighting"

"Left me with a lot to think about"

Anna Ziegler’s award-winning play comes to Cambridge for the first time, following a sell-out West End debut in 2015. It’s 1953, the race is on to uncover the secret of life, the structure of DNA. Biophysicist Rosalind Franklin is one of the few in the world able to capture an image of the mysterious structure. Does she realise she holds the key to the biggest scientific breakthrough of the 20th century? Will rival scientists beat her to it? What kept Franklin out of the history books and Cambridge’s Watson and Crick in? A funny, fast paced and ultimately moving play about ambition, ego and legacy.

Listen again to the cast of Photograph 51 talking to Jeremy Sallis on BBC Cambridgeshire (on from 2 hours 21min).

Listen again to Hannah Forsyth talking to Leigh Chambers on Cam105 about our production of Photograph 51 and about the woman herself, Rosalind Franklin.

Find out more by watching our new teaser video, and reading about our latest blog about the cast trip to Kings College London

Photos by Dee Dee Doke

Production Team

  • Co-Director: Ian Toombs
  • Co-Director: Helen Leedham
  • Lighting: Martin Avery
  • Stage Manager: Gary Beaver
  • Press relations: Tracey Biram
  • Acting Technical Director: Ian Bruno
  • Sound Operator: Tim Brunton
  • Hair and make up: Hannah Curtis
  • Sound design: Paul Malpas
  • Production Manager: Trish Peroni
  • DSM: Anna Perry
  • Set design: Jonathan Spriggs
  • Costume: Timea White

Cast list

  • Rosalind: Hannah Forsyth
  • Maurice Wilkins: Matt Wilkinson
  • Ray Gosling: Michael Withey
  • Don Casper: Cameron Tricker
  • James Watson: Matthew Bairstow
  • Francis Crick: Robin Bailes