Sitting quietly within his chamber, an ageing Galileo Galilei ponders the cards that fate has dealt him, recounting the sham and mockery that was his trial and the events which lead him to write the book which almost led to his death. Tim Hardy's portrayal of the legendary astronomer is an excellent piece of theatre. As we are gently led through the years by his kindly yet incisive wit, Hardy keeps a thinly veiled intelligence ever brooding beneath the surface of the man.
His descriptions of the trial itself create a palpable feeling of being in the presence of the era, and it becomes almost impossible to remember that the audience is watching an actor and not the real man somehow magicked upon the stage. With great levels of detail, it's a joy to listen to the stories which surround this fascinating period of Papal dominance and fear. The only slight quibble with the production is the unfortunately weak ending, which was necessitated by the lack of detail after the trial. Otherwise a solid piece of theatre that won't disappoint audiences this Fringe.