"I'm a scientist. I don't 'believe' in anything."
The study of climate science is the cool degree at the university where Dr Diane Cassell is a lead academic in Earth Sciences. At odds with the orthodoxy over the causes of climate change, she finds herself increasingly vilified and is forced to ask if the issue is becoming political as well as personal. Could the belief in anthropogenic global warming be the most attractive religion of the 21st century. What evidence do we need before deciding on policy?
Winner of the 2011 Evening Standard Theatre Best New Play Award.
Industry Reviews
"It takes a rare talent to create firstclass comedy out of a subject as fraught with seriousness as the environment. But that is what Richard Bean has managed."Paul Callan, "Daily Express" "Bean s writing scintillates. Pulsing with shrewd humour, it s risque and linguistically rich. There are some blissfully surreal touches"The Heretic" is clever, imaginative and entertaining theatre"Henry Hitchens, "Evening Standard" "Painfully witty"Libby Purves, "The Times" "The Heretic," proves an absolutely corker, funny, provocative and touching, and absolutely resolute in its refusal to lapse into the apocalyptic gloom that usually attends this subject. "The Heretic" is a play on the side of life and optimism, with a faith in humanity that goes markedly against the grain of current thinking."Charles Spencer, "Daily Telegraph" "Provocative, funny, contrarian and stimulating pugnacious and entertaining. What starts as a mordant satire ends in a warm glow of humanist sentiment."Michael Billington, "The Guardian" "It s a tsunami of jokes, a meltdown of piety and po-facedness... "The Heretic" makes most plays look underwritten."Susannah Clapp, "The Observer" "Quite frequently hilarious and, when death becomes an immediate danger, the suspense and raw emotion is startling."Kate Bassett, "Independent on Sunday" "Provocative, thoughtful and very funny an acerbically funny, challenging drama."Sarah Hemmingway, "Financial Times" "One of our drama s most wittily maverick voices."Paul Taylor, "The Independent" "Funny, controversial, informative, novel and makes you care for the characters."Quentin Letts, "Daily Mail" "So prolific is Richard Bean that there is the sense of this fine fiftysomething writer laying down a legacy "The Heretic" will be among the best of his works."John Nathan, "Jewish Chronicle" "Scientists exploring alternative sources of energy should look no further than Bean s crackling, dynamic writing."Georgina Brown, "Mail on Sunday" "It was funny. Really funny I really would recommend going to see it. "Manchester s Finest" "The characters were all endearing and likeable, the dialogue was fast and clever, and there were a lot of laugh out loud moments, with some great gags." "The Good Review" "The Heretic" is a belligerent and fleetingly brilliant riposte against orthodox thinking." "The Guardian" "
