Transit of Venus (play)
|
|
Transit of Venus is a play by Canadian playwright Maureen Hunter. It was first produced at the Manitoba Theatre Centre in November 1992.
The play is based on the life of Guillaume Le Gentil (1725–1792). Le Gentil is a gentleman astronomer. He is obsessed with observing the transit of Venus, and leaves Celeste, the girl who loves him, on an expedition to observe it. Return he does, after six years, but having failed to observe the transit. He immediately makes preparations for a new expedition to observe the next transit.
Note, there is some artistic license because the real-life Guillaume Le Gentil did not return until after the second transit, remaining overseas during the eight years between the two transits.
The play was subsequently performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company and recorded for the BBC.