Synopsis
The musical opens in 1683 in a tiny Yorkshire weaving village. Nicholas’ parents, John and Anne can only watch in desperation as their one year old son contracts smallpox and the physician declares that he has lost his sight. The family has little income and as a blind child in a pre Braille world, Nicholas’ future is an inevitably bleak one.
Nicholas’ parents are determined that, in order to forge some kind of independent future, he will at least learn how to make some contribution to the family’s cloth making efforts. His early years are a struggle, as Nicholas suffers ridicule at the hands of his peers and failure in this tough and gritty world where practical skills are the key to survival.
However, against this dark and hopeless backdrop, Nicholas’ true nature begins to appear. He is not someone who will lie down and unquestioningly accept his fate. He is a unique character: a fighter, an extraordinary thinker who has the courage and determination to challenge the status quo. Above all else, and unrecognised by all but his friend, Joshua Dunn, Nicholas has a genius for mathematics and an unquenchable thirst for learning. Misunderstood by those around him, matters culminate when Nicholas goes missing from the family home. A search by the townsfolk finds him, distraught and in tears at the churchyard. Running his hands over the gravestones, Nicholas is desperately trying to understand the letters. Struck by this expression of yearning, Nicholas’ father begins to realise that his efforts to steer his son have only generated frustration and resentment. He vows to help Nicholas gain an education. Together they begin to recognise that, so far as Nicholas’ future is concerned, there really is, No Horizon.
So it is that Nicholas embarks on an unlikely journey of personal fulfilment. It is not a straightforward journey however. As a youngster, he resents his condition and questions the raw deal he feels God has given him. This brings about conflict with the church and open hostility from the local minister, Reverend Fox. The problem is further fuelled by Nicholas’ relationship with the minister’s daughter, Mary. Reverend Fox connives to keep them apart.
The conflict between Nicholas and Reverend Fox is a central plank of the story, reflecting the increasing challenges that Science was making to the Church at that time.
As Nicholas’ talent develops, he is drawn to Cambridge - the University where Isaac Newton still reigns supreme. He is devastated when Mary refuses to come with him – unable to break away from the overbearing influence of her father. At Cambridge, Nicholas is reunited with his lifelong friend, Joshua Dunn. Here, bigotry, arrogance and class barriers confront Nicholas. However, with his strength of character, and aided by Joshua, Nicholas overcomes each of the hurdles set in his way. When Mary realises the deceitful nature of her father, she goes to Cambridge to be reunited with Nicholas. By now, Nicholas has been given a chance to prove himself at the University -with no shred of a formal qualification; he has been granted the opportunity to lecture. Sadly, Joshua dies before he has the chance to see his friend’s success. The arrival of Reverend Fox, intent on removing Mary from Nicholas’ influence threatens to ruin matters. Mary however, remains defiantly at Nicholas’ side, leaving her father a broken man. The show culminates in the triumphant recognition of Nicholas’ genius at Cambridge University.
