Hedy! The Life and Inventions of Hedy Lamarr is a fabulous one-woman show that delves into the life and journeys of Hedy Lamarr — the "most beautiful woman in the world".
Writer, producer and performer Heather Massie has the audience eating out of the palm of her hand for the entirety of this engaging and enlightening production. The odd bit of audience involvement was a nice touch too, along with the Q and A at the end of the performance.
Most would be aware of Hollywood actress Lamarr’s acclaimed beauty, but may not be aware of her inventions. Lamarr’s intellect and curiosity paved the way for things that today we take for granted — cellphones, for one.
She was a woman well ahead of her time through her early work on guidance systems for torpedoes. "The Secret Communication System" would ultimately become wireless technology, something that our modern world could not survive without.
The many parallels between Massie and her subject are uncanny, making Massie the perfect artist to embody Lamarr. Massie’s presence and endearing charm bring Lamarr to life and allow us an insight into a fascinating life story with visits from a few notable characters along the way, including James Stewart, a distinctive voice that Massie performs perfectly.
Through the course of the show, Massie performs 36 characters, navigating the many transitions, accents and dialects with ease.
Both Lamarr and Massie are women who don’t take no for an answer or like being told what to do. Perhaps that’s why Lamarr had six husbands and Massie had to write, produce and star in her own show in order to travel the world with it.
New Zealand is the 19th country Massie has toured and it won’t be the last. This sassy, hilarious, lighthearted but heartfelt celebration of women in science is the first instalment of what will hopefully turn into a trilogy. Watch this space.
