“And lest anyone think this subject matter belongs to a bygone time, look afresh at the numerous powder kegs popping up around the world on an alarming basis even now. Peace, Brody’s play reminds us, is a fragile thing, as is a society that cares about civility when chaos all too evidently lies in wait.”
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“Playwright Alan Brody’s smart, incisive play is based on real, secretly recorded transcripts of the scientists’ conversations, which lends a crisp realism to the dialogue. It is an unhurried, elegantly written piece, meticulously charting the subtle interplay of the characters’ guilt, ambition and obsessive scientific curiosity.”
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“Andy Sandberg’s production plays a straight bat, unfolding on Janie E Howland’s detailed cutaway house set. It struggles a little for dynamism...The proliferation of characters makes it difficult to get a full handle on each one, and the scale of it feels bloated...But it’s an undoubtedly diverting couple of hours shining a light on a little-known aspect of the war effort.”
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“Well-written and admirably interested in sharing a less widely discussed part of military history, ‘Operation Epsilon’ has been made with a clear understanding of the period and the significance of the events its story surrounds...Morality is complicated, and I'm glad to see a willingness to explore this in the arts.”
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“ ‘Operation Epsilon’ could be a very static play – it’s a lot of men talking about topics most of the audience won’t understand (unless they happen to be nuclear physicists, anyway), when you boil it down to the bare bones – but thanks to Andy Sandberg’s direction, the talking stays engaging and even discussions about science and nuclei still have movement around them.”
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"The all-male cast are exceptionally talented, but some characters feel rather underused. However, the actors all exhibit great chemistry with each other and collaborate seamlessly on stage. They create an appropriate tension for the difficult topic of the ethics of personal complaisance discussed."
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What struck me first and foremost about this play was the incredible multilevel set design by Janie E Howland. The main stage encompasses a large reception room, with smaller bedrooms upstairs which allow for a level of privacy for certain scenes. The main set, on the other hand, once filled with the entire cast feels crowded, emphasising that these scientists were stuck together for a considerable amount of time, unable to escape each others company. The lighting design by Clancy Flynn is also highly impactful, in particular, there is an impressive lighting sequence in which each of the scientists are introduced. Between their argument the cast freeze, with spotlights held on a specific character, over which Major T. H. Rittner explains who they were. Personally, this was my favourite part of the show, as it was executed superbly by the cast and creative team.
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