29 September to 6 October 2007

in the Studio Theatre

A Number

by Caryl Churchill

directed by Strat Mastoris

Thirty-five years ago Salter couldn't cope with bringing up his son Bernard alone, so he put the boy into care and had his tissue cloned to produce a duplicate.

Now grown into manhood, Bernard the duplicate son discovers that he is a clone - hard to come to terms with, but not as hard as finding that he is not just a single clone but that there are multiple copies in existence... a number.

Being clones, Salter's sons are of course genetically identical, so the fact that one has become a criminal and another a well adjusted teacher has to be down to upbringing and environment - nature versus nurture.

As drama it's concerned with the reactions of the cloned sons to their shared existence; will they celebrate it or try to kill one another?

Review