A TANKFUL OF EMOTIONAL TENTACLES
Where higher than Hampstead to look at the interaction of cutting-edge science with emotional depth and philosophical unanswerables? Upstairs now we have Gunderson’s ANTHROPOLOGY (scroll beneath) . In that , a grieving software program engineer recreates her misplaced sister as an obliging algorithm with out impartial consciousness. Meanwhile down right here within the studio chances are you’ll meet an precise anthropologist : a chap arriving to check an animal-behaviourist’s relationship with an octopus known as Frances which can, or could not, have a type of clever consciousness. The earlyish line “George, I am here to ascertain whether or not your octopus believes in God” was the second I sank, ever so fortunately, into correctly having fun with Marek Horn’s intriguingly bizarre two-hander.
For others the prepared settling-down can be because of the occasional Bowie tracks, and for devoted Whovians (there have been a number of clearly current) the presence of Dr Who’s personal Jemma Redgrave, at all times reliably flawless in each depth and humour. So, all in all, a rattling good time. And you be taught rather a lot about octopi (although the scientists say octopuss-es). They are cephalopods of the deep ocean, who shed their shells way back: who hunt and conceal, camouflage and suppose, every tentacle having impartial sensors and reminiscences. Is this, scientists ask of their endearingly hair-ruffling approach, another type of intelligence? Why are we people caught with only one mind in our fragile skulls, when Frances the octopus spreads hers into new types of notion? And maybe of feeling, of thought…
It’s a deeply human story, although: Redgrave’s George is newly widowed, deep in grief; her husband was companion within the research of Frances, each residing domestically alongside her tank. Harry the anthropologist (Ewan Miller) is outwardly right here to work out whether or not sure behaviours recommend that the creature can be grieving his misplaced grasp, and whether or not it subsequently has a way additionally of a Supreme Power. But he’s additionally learning George’s co-dependent relationship with it.
Sorry, together with her: probably octopi have robust trendy views on pronoun correctness.
The pair’s fraught, fascinating relationship is expounded in a previous tense by him, and performed out by them collectively; generally they dance, writhily octopoid. Her grief and touchiness are brilliantly proven by Redgrave, and Miller catches properly the person’s extra naif academicism and rising fascination together with her. There are some very humorous moments, normally her asides. My pocket book is scrawled with “Where does intelligence lead?” And “Infertile eggs – chemically mandated triumph of hope over experience?”.
There’s a disaster, no spoilers, but it surely includes quite a lot of ink (all Frances’ colors are proven by a nice lit background, generally troubled by bubbles, however we by no means see a single tentacle). And the conclusion is emotionally very pleasing.
Box-office. hampsteadtheatre.com. to twenty-eight October
Rating 4 (one for every two octopus-legs)
