The Wider Earth

David Morton

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781848428133
• eBook ISBN: 9781788501187
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

In 1831, Charles Darwin, a twenty-two-year-old aspiring naturalist, stepped on board HMS Beagle. Little did he realise that the voyage would last five years, changing not only his own life – but also the history of the entire world.

The Wider Earth brings this era-defining adventure to life, from traversing the dizzying heights of the Andes to diving into the depths of the Brazilian rainforest, through weathering the storms of Tierra del Fuego, to exploring the endless wonders of the Galápagos Islands.

It's a coming-of-age story about science and faith – of how one inquisitive young man asked a question of Mother Nature, and was set on course to discover the answer to one of the greatest mysteries of life on Earth.

David Morton's play received its widely acclaimed premiere at Queensland Theatre in Australia in 2016, before transferring to the Natural History Museum, London, in October 2018, presented by Trish Wadley Productions, Dead Puppet Society and Glass Half Full Productions, in a partnership project with the Natural History Museum.

Originally performed in a dazzling state-of-the-art production with remarkable puppetry and cinematic animations, the powerful story at the heart of The Wider Earth will inspire schools, colleges and amateur theatre companies to create simpler – but no less spectacular – stagings of their own.

This edition includes 4 pages of colour production photos from the 2018 Sydney Festival and Sydney Opera House production.

1.

Beginning at the End

The voice of a young CHILD breaks into the darkness.

CHILD (voice-over). In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. The earth was without form, and darkness covered the face of the deep. Until God said, let there be light.

A glowing sphere appears.

And there was light.

The voice slowly matures, reading with increasing pace and running over itself. It is joined by others, until it becomes a cacophony of words.

The glowing light slowly becomes the forming Earth.

VOICES (voice-over). On the second day, the waters above were separated from the water below, enclosing the earth.

On the third day, the waters ran together and dry land appeared. God caused the earth to bud with herbs and plants with seeds and fruits, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

On the fourth day the sun, the moon and the rest of the stars were created.

On the fifth day fish and flying birds were created and commanded to multiply and fill the sea and earth.

On the sixth day creatures of the land were created.

Last of all was man crafted after the image of God, and woman from his rib. They were given dominion over all living creatures.

On the seventh day, God rested and beheld all that he had made.

It was perfect, as no sin had yet entered creation.

At the end of the first week of the world, God brought the newly created couple into the Garden of Eden, and charged them not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The spinning globe is complete and rests into its orbit.

The chorus of voices falls away to one.

CHARLES (voice-over). This beginning of all time, according to the chronology recorded in the Holy Bible, happened four thousand and four years before the birth of Christ, less than six thousand years from the current day.

The globe spins and grows until it reveals Shrewsbury, a small village in Shropshire.

EMMA WEDGEWOOD walks towards The Mount, the home of the Darwin family, flicking through a book loosely wrapped in brown paper.

CHARLES DARWIN approaches.

EMMA. Charles?

CHARLES. I’m home.

EMMA. I trust the voyage was everything you hoped for.

CHARLES. Everything and more.

EMMA. You’ve been gone such a long time.

CHARLES. Five years.

EMMA. You told me it would be two.

CHARLES. I know.

A breath.

EMMA. I received a proposal, Mr Darwin.

CHARLES. Did you reject it?

EMMA. Not yet.

CHARLES. Is he worthy of you?

EMMA. I certainly hope so.

CHARLES. How can you not be sure?

EMMA. He is a stranger to me.

CHARLES. Then do not accept his hand.

EMMA. The world didn’t sit still while you were gone, Mr Darwin.

CHARLES. Apparently not.

EMMA. How is it you can be away for so long, yet return so thoroughly unchanged?

CHARLES. Do you not wish to hear what I’ve seen?

EMMA. I’ve not waited five years to find out that you’re still a lost boy.

CHARLES. Let me tell you why you’re wrong.

EMMA. I don’t have the patience for a thousand of your thoughts any more.

CHARLES. Then hear just one. Though to be fair, it does take a good deal of explaining.

EMMA. This had better be a good story, Charles Darwin.

CHARLES. It’s rather more than just that.

The globe spins back in time.

Glowing lines form words – ‘THE WIDER EARTH’.

The letters are blown away like sand.

2.

Leaving Cambridge

CHARLES lies in the grounds of Cambridge reading Humboldt.

Movement on the ground catches his eye.

CHARLES. Beetles!

He takes a beetle in his hands, but can’t open the specimen jar so throws them into his mouth.

REVEREND JOHN HENSLOW arrives.

HENSLOW. Charles Darwin! Why is it that the rest of the college is able to attend morning lectures, and yet I find you here enjoying the sunshine?

CHARLES chokes on the beetle.

Good Lord, boy. Are you all right?

CHARLES. I’m fine, Professor.

HENSLOW. What on earth was that?

CHARLES. A beetle, sir.

HENSLOW. In your mouth?

CHARLES. My hands were full.

HENSLOW. Give me strength.

CHARLES. It was a crucifix ground beetle, sir. Did you see where it went?

HENSLOW. I’d say it’s long gone by now.

CHARLES. I’ve not found one before.

HENSLOW. You might have passed your examinations, Charles, but they don’t just hand out Bachelor Degrees.

CHARLES. I only needed two more terms of residence to graduate.

HENSLOW. Enjoying mornings in the sun hardly qualifies, unorthodox beetle collecting or not.

A breath.

CHARLES. Did you sign for my attendance at the lecture?

HENSLOW. Why would I do that?

CHARLES. Oh, come on, Henslow.

HENSLOW. Of course I did, my boy.

CHARLES. Thank you, sir.

A breath.

I was reading Humboldt.

HENSLOW. There’s the culprit.

CHARLES. If you wanted me to attend lectures I don’t know why you gave me his book, sir.

HENSLOW. You’ll have to excuse me for hoping you might be able to balance your studies with your daydreaming.

CHARLES. His descriptions of Tenerife make me feel as if I’m wandering the tropics. Do you think we’ll still be able to make a trip there before the new term?

HENSLOW. I’ve asked around. There’s some interest, but I wouldn’t hold your breath, Charles.

CHARLES. My father’s convinced himself I should start my theology training.

HENSLOW. Then I suppose we’ll be seeing you next term?

CHARLES. I suppose you will.

HENSLOW. Is that really so bad?

CHARLES. When I fi...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Foreword
• Author’s Note
• Thanks
• Original Production
• Characters
• Creatures
• Locations
• The Wider Earth
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information