WEIRD science, historic fable and a bloke in a dress graced Blackwood Miners Institute yesterday as Tangram Theatre Company came to town.

The Element in the Room: A Radioactive Musical Comedy About The Life and Death of Marie Curie, was the latest show from Tangram’s “scientriology” which previously tackled the lives of Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein.

Last night the subject was “the queen of radioactivity” Marie Curie, the first women to win a Nobel Prize for the discovery of Radium.

The play followed the life of Curie, as she travels to America to receive one gram of radium for her research, inadvertently becoming a celebrity in the process.

Actor / writer John Hinton showcased Jim Carrey levels of physicality as Curie — and another ten characters — transitioning to a narrator for fun meta-theatrical moments. 

Jo Eagle portrayed Pierre Curie, providing musical accompaniment and creative sound effects with an accordion.

Each audience member also embodied an element for an interactive game involving a ball of green string, the periodic table and radioactive decay chains.

The direction by Daniel Goldman was superb, creating an illusory experience that is educational, emotional and at times, horrifying.

Despite the criminal audience turnout, Tangram will undoubtedly inspire and challenge your conceptions of theatre and you may even learn a thing or two.

For more information visit www.tangramtheatre.co.uk