A Disappearing Number – English Play
“A mathematician, like a painter or poet, is a maker of patterns. If his patterns are more permanent than theirs, it is because they are made with ideas.”
— G.H. Hardy, A Mathematician’s Apology
The avant garde theatre company Complicite of London brings “A Disappearing Number” to Hyderabad, India and the International Congress of Mathematicians.
A Scene from the play
A DISAPPEARING NUMBER explores two romantic tales – that of a lecturer of mathematics at a British University, Ruth and her financial wizard lover Al (fiction), and that of the high brow Cambridge don, G. H. Hardy and his collaborator, the young mathematical genius from India, Srinivasa Ramanujan (fact). Ruth’s interest in Ramanujan’s work brings the stories together.
Conceived and directed by Simon McBurney, the play has been called an extraordinarily beautiful piece of theatre. A Disappearing Number was winner of the Critic’s choice award in 2007 and the Lawrence Olivier award in 2008. Besides the United Kingdom the play has been performed in France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Holland, Australia and the U.S.A. It will be staged at the Lincoln Centre in New York this summer.
The Executive Organizing Committee for ICM 2010 , in collaboration with Complicite and Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai has the pleasure of bringing the play to the citizens of Hyderabad in general and the delegates to the ICM in particular. There will be two performances in Hyderabad on the 21st and 22nd of August at the Global Peace Auditorium at Gachi Bowli.
“A Disappearing Number is a wonder and one I cannot recommend too highly.” – Daily Telegraph
“One of the most densely woven, intelligent and moving pieces of theatre of the past 20 years.” - London Evening Standard
Another scene from the play
One more scene from the play
Complicite
Complicite is an internationally acclaimed theatre company based in London. Under the Artistic Directorship of Simon McBurney, the Company has won over 50 major awards worldwide. In 2005 the Company performed its production of Measure for Measure at the Prithvi Theatre Festival, Mumbai, and at Ranga Shankara, Bangalore.
Photograph Credits
The first and third images appearing in this page were taken by Joris-Jan Bosand and the second one by Robbie Jack.