Meet the writer

Geinor Styles

I remember being told the story of the Welshman who had discovered the theory of evolution and then shared his idea with Charles Darwin.

Was this a myth, or a story seldom told.

Diving straight into research, I discovered this Welshman was Alfred Russel Wallace,  born in Llanbadoc, Usk - a truly visionary man who’s whole life’s work was inspirational, and whose humility allowed him to share his knowledge which revolutionised the way we thought of ourselves, and indeed of all animal life. In Victorian Britain, this theory was explosive.

Alfred Russel Wallace has truly inspired me. Although he left school at the age of 14, he never stopped being intrigued and amazed by the world around him, and was never afraid to ask difficult questions that flew in the face of the establishment. He showed profound humanity in questioning the status quo, and dreamed of a more just society. I believe we could all take a leaf from his book. 

Discovering Wallace has led me to meet extraordinary people, such as George Beccaloni form the Natural History Museum, Luisa Massarani at the Museu da Vida in Brazil and Wallace’s own grandson Richard Wallace. 

Over the last two years, our play has developed from a one-man site specific performance, into a full theatrical experience, and will be one of the most exciting projects I have worked on. Our aim is to blend theatre and science, music and nature, puppetry and projection.

This will be my sixth play I have written for children in Years 5 and 6.  I absolutely love writing for this age group because I get to combine my two favourite things - history and theatre. 

I hope you enjoy the play.