Marcus du Sautoy to make theatre debut in new play about the universe

The play will deal with 'an unconventional love story about variable X and Y'

Marcus du Sautoy is famous for bringing maths to the masses. As well as his lively BBC shows, the Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University has helped out behind the scenes at the theatre, advising on the best way to stage Christopher’s A-Level algebra problem in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and Complicite’s A Disappearing Number.

Now he will appear in a new play about known and unknown reaches of the universe at the Science Museum and Manchester’s MOSI next month. The show, “an unconventional love story about variable X and Y” stars du Sautoy as X and Complicite actress Victoria Gould as Y and will take place in a converted exhibition space.

It will be du Sautoy’s first professional acting role during which he will “disappear into a suitcase and try to cut an orange an infinite number of times”, I’m told.

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Also in this week's arts diary:

Explicit Ian McEwan short story rediscovered after 30 years

Polly Stenham and Lucy Kirkwood graduate to television

A literary hot tub on offer at Wigtown Book Festival