Joe Wright directs this new production of Brecht’s play. But what have the critics been saying about it? 

Culture Whisper: **** “Cowell is brilliantly robust and charming as Galileo.”

The Independent: **** “artfully conceived and memorably cast revival.  Recommended”

WhatsOnStage: **** “one of the many virtues of Joe Wright’s exuberant and inventive production is that it makes Galileo’s discoveries and his defence of them seem exciting.”

The Guardian: *** “while Clachan and 59 Productions deserve credit for their technical finesse, the design means much of the action takes place on the perimeter of the arena, with a consequent loss of focus.”

The Stage: **** “Wright’s production is more than just planetarium-Brecht with a cool soundtrack; it’s richer, weirder and more potent – theatre that fires the mind.”

Time Out: **** “it’s too fizzing with life to feel like it’s selling the writing short. This is a trip, and a good one at that.”

City Am: **** “The play is too long, too speechy, and too didactic; a largely one-sided argument, that musters too little emotion to persuade an audience to entirely overlook these shortcomings. And yet, the lasting impression is quite special, and the conclusion is upliftingly optimistic.”

The FT: **** “The production doesn’t quite get across the cold terror of the Inquisition or the chill of Galileo’s recantation and it loses focus and momentum towards the end. But, at a time when it is less the spinning of the planets and more the spinning of the truth that concerns us, this vigorous plea to think for ourselves earns a small constellation of stars.”

A Younger Theatre: “a stargazing experience that is both delightful and surprisingly unsettling.”

The Telegraph: **** “a technologically whizzy production which, not stinting on spectacle, humour or vivacity, ensures that time flies (even during the puppetry).”

Exeunt Magazine: “Fun often feels like a dirty word in theatre, and I for one am glad the Young Vic, with Life of Galileo, is trying to bring it back.”

Broadway World: ***** “Brecht gets the audience thinking about the subject matter (“Unhappy is a land who needs heroes”, says Galileo), but thanks to Joe Wright and his team this production is incredibly engaging throughout.”

Evening Standard:**** “an inventive and absorbing take on a play that celebrates the virtues of shaking the established social order and speaking truth to power.”

London Theatre.co.uk: **** “It’s a rich evening, pulsating in ideas as well as movement.”

The Upcoming: **** “Life of Galileo is a remarkable and intriguing revival of Brecht’s work.”

British Theatre Guide: “highly enjoyable production that rarely takes itself too seriously but still manages to make a series of significant scientific and political points that retain great relevance for viewers today.”

The Times: *** “A few clouds, but look up to see Galileo’s stars shine forth”

Life of Galileo continues to play at the Young Vic Theatre until the 1st July. For more information visit: https://www.youngvic.org/whats-on/life-of-galileo