THE Hinge of the World, at the Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford, this week and next, is a truly remarkable piece of theatre.
Whatever your creed and your knowledge, or otherwise, of science, this powerful and atmospheric drama will grip your heart and mind.
Written by Richard N Goodwin, former speechwriter to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, it has a richly woven text with a thread of iridescent humour running through it.
The set, ranged around with row upon row of white candles and a central revolve overhung with circular, gauzy curtains, is evocative of the stifling power of the 17th century Catholic Church.
Yet, at the same time its spaciousness has Galileo and his telescope at the centre of this universe, with the action revolving around him, as the earth revolves around its sun.
And that, in essence, is the central theme of the play. Galileo's fertile and original brain presents him with an unthinkable conclusion: the earth moves.
And with this comes the realisation that Copernicus's hypothesis that in a solar system, the earth is not the centre of the universe, must be right and is indeed flying in the face of the teachings of the Catholic scriptures.
Science apart, and there is a fascinating recreation of an experiment in motion, this is the story of two, once like-minded men whose convictions and fears set them irrevocably against each other.
Into this battlefield, which is echoed in the war waged by the Catholic Church for the souls of its Protestant European neighbours and the inhabitants of "savage America", are drawn the friends and acolytes of both men.
This is not simply a story of blind faith or overweening ambition and it has many echoes of today's troubled planet.
Barberini, later Pope Urban VIII (Ken Bones) and Galileo (David Troughton), both secure in their faith and open to the wonders of their age, have much in common. But "no one is safe from power" and "obedience is all".
As the play opens, heresy is bloodily punished and the fear of falling foul of the church's teaching is tangible.
While the world is impressed by Galileo's many "wonders and marvels" mathematics "is not a magician". His deeply sincere work, to glorify not detract from God, is misunderstood in a world where "truth is not enough".
In a global world where there can be no "above and below", those who understand and believe in these concepts are in danger of becoming like gods in the eyes of the church.
But this is an intensely human battle in which thought may be taken prisoner but can never be quenched.
That said, there are moments when its message is in danger of being overstated. Room for some discrete editing, perhaps, to remove moments of unnecessary repetition.
Ken Bones as the ambitious pope with a taste for elegance and beauty is magnificent. Thoughtful, devious, and impassioned in turn, his performance is spellbinding.
David Troughton's powerful and empathetic performance as Galileo makes him every inch the passionate thinker, full of wild enthusiasm for his subject, yet mindful of his faith.
The evocative music is composed by Simon Slater and Alexandra Moen as Maria Celeste, Galileo's daughter, sends chills up the spine with her pure voice.
Running until April 12, this world premiere production, superbly directed by Edward Hall, is a must for all true lovers of theatre.
It is a tour de force which leaves you with deeply ingrained impressions of the sheer beauty of its setting, the stature of its players, and the immense scope of its creator.
Sandy Baker