An independent show guide not a venue or show. All tickets 100% guaranteed, some are resale, prices may be above face value. We're an independent show guide not a venue or show. We sell primary, discount and resale tickets, all 100% guaranteed prices may be above face value. We are an independent show guide not a venue or show. We sell primary, discount and resale tickets, all 100% guaranteed and they may be priced above or below face value.

Heisenberg / our review

MESMERIZING Penetrating bold

Mar 14th, 2016

Nicola Quinn

Nicola Quinn

Experience an Energetic truth on-stage in Heisenberg

Fun Facts: Simon Stephens' adaptation of Mark Haddon's novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time granted him the Olivier Award (2013) and Tony Award (2015) for Best New Play.

Target Audience: Heisenberg is for the audience who craves real truth, substance and a script which consequently leads to deeper thought.

Best Bit: If the opportunity presents itself to sit on stage, I absolutely do - it offers such an interesting perspective on the show and there is something sacred about it. It is no mistake that Mark Brokaw has removed 200 balcony seats and placed them on stage, as the audience finds their seats they are forced to observe each other and thus the theme of the evening is in motion.

Morning After Effect: Hyper alert to any interaction taking place on the train platform!

Verdict: Mary-Louise Parker and Denis Arndt will steal your heart, blow your mind and penetrate your soul.

Oftentimes people imagine that a night at the theatre involves glitzy costumes, big dance sets and catchy tunes that get stuck in your head however, the extreme opposite occurs in Heisenberg. Equally as dazzling with its stark set of just two tables, two actors and 200 audience members seated on stage. Though you do not leave with songs bouncing around your head, you definitely take away thoughts and flashbacks from the play that come and go for days to follow. I have been quite baffled to put thought to page about Heisenberg, written by English playwright Simon Stephens. His commentary on human nature, our dependency on companionship and the instinct to survive and connect is profound.

Firstly, it must be noted that the inspiration for this work came about from Stephens' fascination with Werner Heisenberg, a theoretical physicist who is best known for his uncertainty principle which was published in 1927. Heisenberg was also involved with the development to generate electricity through nuclear power. He was highly influential in the field of science and so well respected that he was known as the man who created quantum mechanics, earning him a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1932.

Before I spiral into a paper about quantum mechanics and force fields, let me sum it up: this theory indicates that while energy is radiated and absorbed, the position, momentum and other physical properties of the particles will both be affected and thus affect the outcome. Take that notion and apply it to every word spoken and gesture made between two people, the outcome will always be different based on the subject of the setting and the participants themselves. Fascinating!

Stephens has created two compelling characters - Georgie Burns (Mary-Louise Parker) and Alex Priest (Denis Arndt) - and placed them in an ordinary world to showcase his interpretation of the uncertainty principle. Alongside this, he has planted fascinating choices such as the tango piece gently danced by our protagonists, a dance form that relies on oppositional energy between the floor, the self and partner for its flow and success. Stephens is a mastermind and throughout the play we are reminded of energy, power, effect and response.

Georgie and Alex are the anti-heroes; vulnerable, guarded and muted from normalcy until they meet each other on a London platform, and experience a momentous interaction which transports them on an unexpected journey. Georgie is an unstoppable force, releasing the brake and driving this journey ahead with an addict-like conduct for thrill and destruction. Once Alex realizes he is a passenger he has to step up and take the wheel, she has caused a response which ignites his soul.

Mary-Louise Parker and Denis Arndt deserve great praise for their performance, both characters are staccato and awkward and without their precise fluidity and razor sharp focus they could easily become talking heads. Parker and Arndt create a vivid world, every detail of their moving backdrop penetrates through the actors' senses onto the stage. Parker's performance is unpredictable and every fiber of her being is bent into this character. Her vocals adjust like a violin resonating fragile notes while her body twitches with the boundless energy ' I am getting goosebumps as I have yet another flashback of this pure truth!

Mark Brokaw (Director) has done an outstanding job guiding these two artistic talents. This level of work does not just appear on stage, the script is handled delicately and with infinite detail allowing each character to be created one thought and movement at a time. Brokaw, Parker and Arndt present Stephens' work with no subtlety, it is bold and will certainly trigger a reaction.

After a successful run Off-Broadway just last year, The Manhattan Theatre Club presents Heisenberg at The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, I highly recommend seeing (and feeling) it - it is truly mesmerizing.

Reviewed by Nicola Quinn

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, New York City
Find me on Twitter: @newyorktheatre

View our show pages for more information about Heisenberg, Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.

Heisenberg, Samuel J Friedman Theatre, New York

Heisenberg

4.5 star rating4.5 star rating4.5 star rating4.5 star rating4.5 star rating

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre: Closed Dec 11, 2016

Clare plants a kiss on the cheek of a stranger in the subway, and both of their lives change forever. That's the story of Heisenberg, playwright Simon Stephen's follow-up to the celebrated The Curious...more info

Book TicketsBook tickets for Heisenberg, Samuel J Friedman Theatre, New York

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