Photograph 51, Noël Coward Theatre ****

Commercial theatre companies like the Michael Grandage Company are never going to produce ground-breaking theatre if they have to balance the books whilst selling seats for £10 in the front row of the stalls. This being said, Nicole Kidman's great return to theatre is rather daring, doing an unknown play about the forgotten woman in the discovery of DNA. Having studied the History of Medicine for History GCSE, I had some knowledge of Crick and Watson's discovery and knew of Rosalind Franklin. This play examines Franklin's role closely and talks about how an individuals role is forgotten. Anna Ziegler's play tells Franklin's story with the use of flashbacks from the five other scientists arguing over Franklin's ability and personality which is expertly executed with great lighting design from Neil Austin that make subtle changes between time periods. Christopher Oram creates a set very much in keeping with his other designs for the company with an archaic flavour juxtaposed with the modern flooring. It isn't instantly relevant but there is a hint of this groundbreaking work going on in the these old, crumbling institutions. The whole production revolves around Kidman, who, unlike her character, is always centre stage and at times feels like a vehicle for the great actress yet the production doesn't suffer because of it. She is moving in her lack of emotion in a way that so few actors can do. It is almost overwhelming and heartbreaking after a difficult first half. She is supported by a great supporting cast who make up for their lack of diversity with solid performances. Stephen Campbell Moore is almost sympathetic as Kidman's appallingly sexist colleague whilst relative newcomer Joshua Silver brings charm and a purely likeable character as Franklin's assistant who is the human voice in the play. Crick and Watson are played as jarring and grating by Edward Bennett and Will Attenborough whilst the American fan played by Patrick Kennedy helps to bring out a more emotional wreck performance from Nicole Kidnan. I can't evaluate the Winters Tale metaphor properly as I rather ignorantly don't know the plot yet the feminist message it portrayed was rather moving in a world that knows John Gielgud as one of the masters yet have forgotten his female counterpart Diana Wynard (a name I had to look up). This production is striking and shows that commercial theatre can be interesting, if not totally radical.