Why was Robert Hooke, the polymath genius of the 17th century whose interests knew no bounds, written out of history? No portrait survives of Robert Hooke, and relatively little is known about his life, though he did come to Christ Church, before joining the Wadham College scientists who founded the Royal Society in 1660. Those who do know of his achievements believed him to be our English Leonardo. Like Da Vinci, Hooke was a fine artist, an accomplished engineer, an architect and an extraordinary scientific thinker. He died in London on March 3, 1703.

At 7.30pm on Thursday (13) and the following Saturday, actor and director Chris Barnes (pictured) will be performing Hanging Hooke, by Siobhan Nicholas, at the Burton Taylor Studio of the Oxford Playhouse. This is a new play of celebrity, secrecy and betrayal which questions whether Robert Hooke was buried by another Da Vinci plot.

On Friday at 7.30pm and again on Saturday at 2.30pm, Siobhan Nicholas's popular Sam & I , which explores the world of Samuel Pepys through the eyes of his wife Elizabeth, will also be staged at the Burton Taylor Studio.

It is appropriate that these two plays should be staged back-to-back as Samuel Pepys was one of Robert Hooke's dearest friends. Performed by Siobhan Nicholas and directed by Chris Barnes, this play charts the passionate highs and lows in the marriage between Samuel and Elizabeth Pepys. It offers members of the audience a chance to share the joys and trials of their household, the gossip of the court, the horrors of the plague, the flames of the fire of London and finally Elizabeth's alarming discovery that her husband is a serial sex addict.

Tickets for both plays can be booked by ringing the Oxford Playhouse box office on 01865 305305, or going to www.oxfordplayhouse.com