The Exoplanets – Norwich Theatre Royal

Composers: Samatha Fernando, Pauchi Sasaki, Robin Haigh, Anibal Vidal, Blasio Kavuma, Theo Whitworth, Zhenyan Li

Director: Jack Lowe

Ambition is something to be celebrated, and Exoplanets, a new work co-created with Norwich Theatre Royal, is certainly brimming with it. Weaving together music, memory, science, and love, the piece aims to reach across both the cosmos and the human heart. It’s a project that reaches for the stars, quite literally, but in doing so, sometimes struggles to bring its many ideas into alignment.

At its centre is Audrey (Amanda Hadingue), whose interview with Classic FM acts as a framing device through which we look back on her life. We glimpse her relationship with Mari (Serena Manteghi), a scientist fascinated by exoplanets, their journey as foster parents, and Audrey’s later composition of the Exoplanets Suite following Mari’s death. Each thread has the potential to be affecting, but the strands rarely intertwine in a way that builds to a compelling whole. The result feels like flicking between channels, catching fragments of several stories without ever settling into one. A clear example of this is when the production opens with Audrey teaching children, a touching image that hints at themes of inspiration and legacy. However, the young performers only play brief snippets before sitting silently in the wings, never to return to the narrative. It feels like a beautiful idea only partially realised.

The staging, too, creates barriers rather than bridges. A large screen dominates, intended to visualise Mari’s passion for the stars. However, its swirling animations and static planets renders often feel more like background noise than a meaningful companion to the music. The design also means the top row of the orchestra is hidden, an odd distraction in a piece that places music at its heart.

Musically, there are flashes of promise. Audrey’s suite carries moments of beauty, but too often the planets begin to blur into one another, dominated by rapid runs and scales rather than distinct characterisation. Without variety or drama, the music risks undercutting the very expansiveness it seeks to capture.

There’s no doubting the sincerity behind Exoplanets, nor the dedication of its performers. It is an ambitious, heartfelt attempt to grapple with grief, memory, and the infinite mysteries of space. Yet, while its reach is admirable, the production never quite coalesces, leaving an experience that feels more like scattered fragments than a completed constellation.

Runs Until: 7 September 2025