Noether
Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG
Wednesday 25th February 2026 - Saturday 28th February 2026
"the most significant creative mathematical genius thus far produced since the higher education of women began"- Albert Einstein on Emmy Noether
‘Noether’ is the culmination of a year of research into the life of Emmy Noether, a female, Jewish mathematician who worked in 1920/30s Germany. Noether’s work laid the groundwork for a huge amount of modern mathematics and physics. In her early career, she faced immense difficulty due to being a woman, then, once an established mathematician, was dismissed from University by the Nazi government due to being Jewish.
Written by Esme Somerside Gregory and devised by the company, the play chronicles her life through various sources of verbatim, critically examining what it means to be a female-pioneer in a male-dominated field, and ultimately asking the question as to whether much has changed 100 years later. Presented by Oxford student theatre company Cartesian Productions.
Runtime: 1hr 10mins with no interval; the performance on Friday 27th February will be followed by an academic panel discussing the play and its background, as well as a drinks reception courtesy of Oxford Physics Gender Equity Network.
Content warnings: misogyny, antisemitism, depictions of Nazism, death
The theatre has step-free access via a lift
‘Noether’ is the culmination of a year of research into the life of Emmy Noether, a female, Jewish mathematician who worked in 1920/30s Germany. Noether’s work laid the groundwork for a huge amount of modern mathematics and physics. In her early career, she faced immense difficulty due to being a woman, then, once an established mathematician, was dismissed from University by the Nazi government due to being Jewish.
Written by Esme Somerside Gregory and devised by the company, the play chronicles her life through various sources of verbatim, critically examining what it means to be a female-pioneer in a male-dominated field, and ultimately asking the question as to whether much has changed 100 years later. Presented by Oxford student theatre company Cartesian Productions.
Runtime: 1hr 10mins with no interval; the performance on Friday 27th February will be followed by an academic panel discussing the play and its background, as well as a drinks reception courtesy of Oxford Physics Gender Equity Network.
Content warnings: misogyny, antisemitism, depictions of Nazism, death
The theatre has step-free access via a lift
