Possible Worlds

Possible Worlds is a play written in 1990 by John Mighton. The author, Mighton, is a mathematician and philosopher. His plays tend to meld science, drama and math into one cohesive piece. It is part murder mystery, part science-fiction, and part mathematical philosophy and follows the multiple parallel lives of the main character George Barber. Mighton, a mathematician from University of Toronto's Fields Institute, brought his considerable professional experience to bear on the writing of the play. At the play's beginning, George is found dead, with his brain missing. Two detectives set out to uncover the truth behind his grisly death, and stumble upon several strange characters. This play may be classified as a sci-fi tragic drama The play itself does not have any music. Possible Worlds won a Governor General's Literary Award for Drama in 1992 alongside Short History of Night. A film adaptation of the same name was released in 2000. Directed by Robert Lepage and starring Tom McCamus and Tilda Swinton, it garnered wide critical acclaim, won two Genie Awards, and was nominated for a further four. The theatre book was published in 1997 by Playwrights Canada Press.