Review: Interesting, funny and very entertaining Darwin, a curious mind 

I was intrigued by Darwin – a curious mind, a new play by Alexander McCall Smith with Nicholas Ellenbogen and Liz Ellenbogen and Andrew Roux at The Galloway Theatre at the Waterfront Theatre School. The short season at the Galloway is on from April 7-13, 2025 and there is a performance on April 19, 2025 in the Simon’s Town City Hall. Bookings for both at Quicket.

Charming performances with vibrant interplay between the protagonists. Beautifully directed by Luke Ellenbogen, with striking lighting shifts from scene to scene. The script is by the famous novelist, Alexander McCall Smith (his books include the delightful The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency book series). McCall Smith and Nicholas Ellenbogen go way back. Luke, the director of Curious is the son of Nicholas and he says:  “They were at CBC Bulawayo together and were neighbours. They were riding companions who rode their horses together every evening.”  

They have united for this play, which is a celebration of Darwin and vividly conjures up the man, the human behind the legend. It’s interesting, funny and very entertaining. McCall Smith draws on vibrant images to evoke a Darwin with emotion – and voracious curiosity. This is very different to the somewhat dry accounts that one trends to find on Google about Darwin and his race to publish his revolutionary book, The Origin of Species in 1859. I am not going to narrative spoil, because part of the joy of watching this play is the way the nuggets of information unfurl, theatrically between Darwin (Nicholas Ellenbogen as older Darwin and Andrew Roux as younger Darwin) and his wife. Elizabeth Szymcak plays the patient and chilled out wife of Darwin, keeping calm and doing her embroidery.

I loved the design in the heritage building of the Galloway Theatre at the Waterfront Theatre School.  It almost feels that we are in a sacred space, glimpsing into the wonderful and magical world of Darwin and his journey from medical student (his father wanted him to be a doctor) to naturalist/biologist’scientist who had such a profound effect on theories of evolution. Nicholas Ellenbogen evokes the sage, Prophet Darwin with a naughty twinkle in his eye.

Talking of sacred, Delia Sainsbury of the WTS told me that the theatre was originally a Chapel – The Chapel of St Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors. She says: “We had it officially deconsecrated so we could use it as a theatre. It became the official Galloway Theatre on Keith’s death in 2010 [Galloway – her late husband]. I had it restored to its original Victorian heritage. The whole complex is a heritage site. The annex is one of the original Art Deco buildings in Cape Town. The side windows are circular to represent port holes on a ship.”

It feels like site responsive theatre watching this play, hearing about Darwin’s five year peregrination around the world on the HMS Beagle from 1831 to 1836. Five years at sea – without e-mail and WhatsApp – imagine. He was 22 at the start. Near the end of his journey, in 1836, Darwin (27 by that time) was in The Cape of Good Hope for nineteen days.

I was wondering how the play would end and yes, McCall Smith injects a spark at the end which leaves one with a feel-good vibe. It is a lovely way to wrap up this celebration of Darwin – as advocate of diversity, multiplicity and the infinite wonder of our natural world. I hope that this play will be staged again. It is a must see for youngsters – to get them interested in our planet – to cherish it and its diversity. As Darwin muses in the play: :Greed will destroy its infinite variety”.

✳ There are a number of Darwin events happening in Cape Town, many driven by Professor Mike Burton. There will be an unveiling of a bronze bust of Darwin on Simon’s Town Jetty by the great, great granddaughter of Charles Darwin, Dr Sarah Darwin, on Sunday April 27, 2025. [https://falsebayecho.co.za/news/rt-nws-darwin/] Darwin200: A historic tall ship is sailing around the world, tracking the route taken by HMS Beagle 189 years ago – with Darwin and is “promoting biodiversity conservation worldwide”. The ship, the Oosterschelde is currently moored at Quay 2 in front of the Cape Grace Hotel, V&A Waterfront.

✳ Featured image- Andrew Roux and Nicholas Ellenbogen in Darwin, a curious mind by Alexander McCall Smith, staged at The Galloway Theatre, Port Road, Alfred St, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, April 7-13, 2025. Also in the cast:  Elizabeth Szymcak. Supplied.