Production: Czech Radio
Author: Eva Blechová
Producer: Klára Novotná
Director: Natália Deáková
Sound engineers: Jan Trojan, Dominik Budil
Production Assistant: Dana Reichová
Synopsis:
“Radiant Child" follows the intertwined destinies of two main protagonists: Marie Curie-Skłodowska and the chemical element radium.
In the fall of 1898, their unlikely meeting takes place in Paris. Marie is a newlywed, mother of little Irène, and a top student at the Sorbonne. Radium is hidden in pitchblende, a shiny black mineral. It is a waste product from uranium mining in Jáchymov in today’s Czechia.
The discovery of radium fascinates the whole world, and Marie, like many others, believes in its immense potential. Radium becomes a symbol of progress and modernity. "Radium craze" breaks out: there is radium toothpaste, lipstick or ice cream, radium is added to food, medicines and consumer goods.
However, the initial fascination with the scientific miracle begins to turn into fear of a silent killer. Radium glows, decays, and transforms—just like the people who dedicated their lives to it.
The play weaves historical facts into a multi-layered audio composition that is both playful and intense. The textured sound design enhances the gravity of the topics raised: what are we willing to sacrifice for the sake of scientific progress? Can we control the very forces we have unleashed upon the world? And is humanity prepared to bear the consequences of its own discoveries?
The play won first prize in the Prix Bohemia Festival in October 2025.
