Horizons – A 21st Century Space Odyssey @ O2 Arena Review

Why are we here? Why now? What is our purpose? What is the meaning of life? How did life begin? An endless stream of questions that inspire curiosity, faith and inspiration to many. The natural world around us containing within it various patterns and processes that correspond with our own experiences. What lies beyond our planet Earth, unknown galaxies, universes, plants and life yet to be discovered, if ever they will be and energies that directly impact our own day to day lives. Returning to the stage with his latest tour Horizons – A 21st Century Space Odyssey, celebrated broadcaster and physicist Professor Brian Cox CBE ponders the past and what is yet to come.

Playing to roughly 30,000 spectators, Professor Brian Cox delivers a mind-expanding 3 hour lecture zoning in on the minutiae of our atomic foundations, we all, and everything around us made up of matter and the significance of our current existence. Discussions revolving around the possibility of black holes, delving into the space-time continuum, the theory of relativity and the theory of everything taking centre stage – Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking and Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar all direct inspirations of the evening and celebrated practitioners within the field of Physics.

We’re presented an amalgam of ideas that resonate on various levels with everyone, whether a scientist, mathematician, philosopher, someone with an interest in any of these fields, fans of Professor Brian Cox or anyone looking for an entertaining night out I’m sure will take something away from the evening. Accompanied by awe-inspiring celestial images, both crystal clear and at points unintelligible, these ignite imagination and further questioning about what lies beyond. What lies beyond us a mystery, and something even the scientists are happy to say they’re unsure about, and that in itself is an exciting prospect – the mystery of what lies beyond us containing within it a mysticism that will forever challenge what we already know, or what we think we know.

Joined by award winning comedian Robin Ince, big ideas are broken up by endearing anecdotes of Professor Brian Cox’s humble beginnings and his challenging of perceptions as to what a physicist looks like, and Q&As that encourage further thought. Horizons – A 21st Century Space Odyssey a complex thing, rubix cube-like. Theories considered key to our existence tough to decipher dependent on your own personal knowledge of maths, physics and spirituality but a fascinating experience to encounter.

Written by Lucy Basaba.

Horizons – A 21st Century Space Odyssey was shown on Wednesday 31st August at the o2 Arena and is currently touring within the UK until Sunday 2nd October. To find out more about the tour, visit here…

Written by Theatrefullstop