Daniel Keane stares down at the blank sheet of paper on the desk. He has just been asked by the 17th century mathematician Pierre de Fermat to solve his intuitive, yet evasive, theorem.
‘A great mathematician can have moments of inspiration in a second’ remarks Fermat, after our protagonist fails to answer the question, ‘You have had time for 30 of them’. Writing and maths are not too dissimilar in this way: they both rely on sudden inspiration, and ‘Fermat’s Last Tango’ is the sum total of a lifetime of majestic inspiration, with witty maths jokes and charming lyrical songs.
Twenty five Emanuel students went to Oxford to see the play, in the Oxford Institute of Mathematics. The play has a significant connection to Emanuel with, Old Emanuel, Siddiq Islam playing the mathematician Fermat. Songs in the play were executed in an enjoyable fashion, with the Emanuel maths teachers still playing them over in their heads, in the days following the production. The trip also provided us with the invaluable experience of seeing ‘Oxford University’ fist hand, where Andrew Wiles is still resident (therefore a fitting place to hold the production).
A main theme throughout the play is that of simplicity in our work and ‘Fermat’s Last Tango’ executes this perfectly. By combining a philosophical quest with mathematical comedy, audiences are given a highly entertaining account of ‘approximately true events ’. The play opens with Daniel Keane (the character of Andrew Wiles) seemingly flung into international fame after his proof of Fermat’s ‘Last Theorem’. Things become muddied, when the character of Fermat (Siddiq Islam) confronts Keane, informing him of a simple, yet troublesome, flaw in his initial proof which could seemingly disgrace his work, and condemn him to the immortal status of ‘a failure’. With the help of historical maths figures (notably Pythagoras and Gauss), Keane eventually tackles the flaw along with misconceptions he has of his own character.
As trouble ensues, and Keane must deal with both Fermat, and the complex flaw in his proof, he finds himself coming to terms with himself, as an individual. For most of his adult life, his goal was to prove himself among the greatest mathematicians of all time, and to put to rest the 300-year-old maths problem. Therefore, the flaw in the proof not only impacts on his reputation, but also takes him on a philosophical quest in finding ‘what defines his life’s purpose’, as he watches his aspirations destroyed seamlessly. Keane’s wife acts as a soothing dose of reality, as when questioned by her husband whether she would ‘still love me [Keane] if I were a failure’ she reassures his doubts. Unlike Fermat, who thrives off his illusiveness, Keane strives for openness and accountability in his work, Therefore, the character of Fermat acts not only as an antagonist to the story, but also as the axis on which Keane can internally reflect.
‘Fermat’s Last Tango’ is proof that theatre is at its most interesting when it strives to push boundaries and experiment with its tools, as was Andrew Wiles when he set out on his journey to solve something so challenging, yet possible. The ending sentiment of ‘Fermat’s Last Tango’ is: ‘In our failures lie the seeds of our success’. I dread to even consider the calamity that must have ensued to sprout the seeds to such an enjoyable, and underrated play of simplistic genius.
QED
Harry (Lower Sixth)