'Beauty, to us physicists, means something we've never seen before.'



An existential PhD student hunting dark matter collides with:





A disillusioned illusionist
A teenage medium with a secret
A murdered mathematician
A trailblazing astronomer 


Together, they shed new light on the greatest unsolved mystery of the universe. 



Witty, ingenious and daringly theatrical, Emma Howlett's Aether explores physics, faith and magic in a play that tracks humanity's insatiable fascination with the unknown.



Aether was first performed at Summerhall during the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It received widespread critical acclaim and was named Best Theatre Show of the Fringe by the Telegraph. It transferred to Jermyn Street Theatre, London, in 2026.



'Emma Howlett is a superstar... the most exciting new auteur in theatre' London Standard