A group of Newnham students met Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman at an exclusive Q&A session with the cast of Photograph 51.
Thanks to a generous donation by Fellows of the College, six students travelled to London’s West End to attend one of the final performances of the play which was written by Anna Ziegler and starred Kidman as Rosalind Franklin, Newnham alumna.
Based on the work and life of Franklin and her pivotal role in the discovery of the structure of DNA, the play engaged with many issues that women working in science and academia have encountered in the past and continue to encounter today.
After the performance the students took part in a Q&A session with the director and cast, which included Kidman who won the Evening Standard Best Actress award for her portrayal of Franklin.
Kidman described how moved she had been by the script when she read it and how important she felt it was to continue to highlight the inequalities faced by women.
The Newnham contingent enjoyed a lively discussion after the performance, especially about the role that Newnham had played in Rosalind Franklin’s life.
Chloe Marsden, third year biochemistry student, said: “I was so grateful to be given the opportunity to see Photograph 51 and one of Newnham’s most famous alumnae brought to life on stage.
“As a Biochemistry student, Franklin’s work and the race for DNA had always been of interest to me and I hope that after Nicole Kidman’s brilliant portrayal, more people will become aware of Franklin and her contribution to one of the greatest discoveries in science.”
Cailin Phoenix, Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic third year, said: “Not only was Photograph 51 a brilliant piece of theatre which brought the talented Dr Franklin and her work justifiably onto the main stage, but it was also gladdening to hear that it seems to have stimulated discussion of the sexism and gender inequalities which still exist today in many professional fields, inequalities which may otherwise have gone on unnoticed.”
Photograph caption: (Left to right) Alisha Burman, Chloe Marsden, Alicia Winthrop, Sophie Brown, Cailin Phoenix and Callie Vandewiele.