"Think stargazing meets symphony, with a dash of existential wonder."
A collaboration between physicist and data scientist Dr Luca Pontiggia and award-winning composer and actuary, Yasheen Modi, the show brings science and storytelling together in a unique production that explores one of the universe’s greatest mysteries – black holes. By merging scientific discovery with immersive sound, striking visuals, and poetic narrative, the duo transform complex ideas into a sensory experience.
When Pontiggia and Modi launched Universe on Stage, their mission was to fuse live music with captivating visuals to tell the story of the universe – no boring science lessons allowed. Think stargazing meets symphony, with a dash of existential wonder. Add in some cosmically loaded motivation: this science-meets-art production is intended to illuminate our place in the universe and light a spark for the hidden power and potential every one of us carries.
The show was first performed in 2022 at The Bioscope to a small audience of mostly family and friends. It was a hit, and by 2024 Hidden Giants made its way to the larger stage at Joburg Theatre. The audience wanted more, and Pontiggia and Modi realised this was just the start of something bigger.
Ahead of the new-and-improved staging of Hidden Giants, we met up with the duo to chat about black holes, life’s paradoxes, how they got started, and what’s next in their ever-expanding galaxy.
The origin story: From innovation challenge to cosmic collisions
When a data scientist (Pontiggia) and an actuary (Modi) walk into a company innovation challenge, you don’t exactly expect a cosmic stage show to emerge – but that’s how Hidden Giants was born. Pontiggia and Modi first crossed paths at an annual innovation competition at their workplace, healthcare, banking, and insurance giant Discovery, introduced by a mutual friend. The following year's competition, Modi pitched an idea to Pontiggia and they joined forces, won first place, and quickly realised their minds were unexpectedly in sync.
Pontiggia had long dreamed of reviving the Johannesburg edition of Science & Cocktails (an innovative event series that fused science lectures with your favourite tipple) but with fewer PowerPoint slides and decidedly more awe. He’d already begun experimenting with ways to elevate science talks, having delivered a public lecture on black holes set to Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar score. The final spark came from Pontiggia’s sister, who suggested replacing the soundtrack with a live musician. Enter Modi – a musical prodigy who began playing piano at the age of eight and won the Sanlam National Music Competition at just 11. Add music, mesmerising visuals, and a dose of curiosity, and Hidden Giants became a theatrical universe of its own.
"The first couple of shows were attended by friends, family, and colleagues. After a handful of shows, Pontiggia tells us, "We looked out into the crowd, and we didn't know anyone there."
Banking on the public’s collective love for a Hans Zimmer score, Pontiggia figured that even if people weren’t into black holes, they’d still show up for the live soundtrack courtesy of Modi. The Bioscope at 44 Stanley seemed like the perfect launchpad. Running on blind faith, Pontiggia pitched the idea to the indie theatre's founder, Russell Grant, who enthusiastically agreed. No venue hire, just a no-strings revenue split and a test run involving Modi plugging in his guitar to see if the amp worked (spoiler: it did). With 37 seats and zero guarantees, they rolled the cosmic dice – and sparked a universe of possibility.
The first couple of shows were attended by friends, family, and colleagues. After a handful of shows, Pontiggia tells us, "We looked out into the crowd, and we didn't know anyone there." What began as a pilot at The Bioscope in 2022 soon became a runaway success, with 28 sold-out shows over the past three years. Quoting Grant, Hidden Giants is: "The most successful show in the 14 years of Bioscope history."
Creating an original: composing the score for emotional resonance
Hidden Giants has come a long way from its early score, now with original compositions by Modi. Blind faith that pays off? It's a theme. When Pontiggia first asked Modi if he could compose, he came back saying, "I don't know. I've never composed before." Turns out, he can. "Modi has this ability to compose music on the fly," Pontiggia tells us. "He's basically an improv musician, if I can put it that way. You just tell him something, and he will just start randomly messing around." Modi describes it as musical doodling; the duo workshop together as Pontiggia runs through different sections of the talk.While attending science lectures did spark the concept for Hidden Giants, "It's not really a lecture," says Pontiggia, "meaning I'm using science content to tell a much deeper story about being a human, persistence, curiosity, innovation, all of that." Modi's compositions carry the narrative, marrying intellect and emotion. "I think the way you actually get people to make change in their life is by giving them emotion, which creates a desire to make the change that they want to make," Pontiggia says.
A play of paradoxes: Hidden Giants 2025
The theme for the 2025 edition of Hidden Giants, "Where Black Holes Meet Human Curiosity," is a collision of science and soul-searching. At its core is the paradox of the black hole: the darkest object in the universe giving rise to the brightest phenomenon – quasars (bright cores of active galaxies in the distant universe). An active galaxy is one in which the central supermassive black hole is consuming large amounts of matter. Destructive yet essential to creation, black holes aren’t just astrophysical enigmas; they’re striking metaphors for the human condition.
As Pontiggia says, "You have this paradox, this yin and yang – the darkest thing in the universe gives rise to the brightest. Likewise, a black hole is one of the most destructive forces, but also one of the most creative." Hidden Giants taps into that same duality within us: our immense, often unseen potential, obscured by fear or doubt, but illuminated through curiosity. "I feel like there's this beautiful mirroring in terms of the human condition of these paradoxes," Pontiggia says. "The thing that's most shrouded in darkness will give the greatest light in our life."
We’re complex beings orbiting our own event horizons. And for Modi, that’s exactly the point: "Black holes are a great analogy for the potential we have as human beings. That’s what I like to think about the show." This isn’t just a talk about astrophysics — it’s an invitation to stop doubting, start exploring, and let your inner gravity pull you toward your brightest self.
Elevated sound and visuals: New additions to Hidden Giants for returning fans
The 2025 Hidden Giants show is turning up the volume and visuals in a big way. Darius Botha, a fan from the 2024 show, approached Pontiggia and Modi to collaborate on the visuals – so they put him to the test. Botha has reworked 40% of the original visuals from scratch, including epic black hole re-renders and a sun sequence that moves in perfect sync with the talk. It’s all about creating a deeper connection between the words and the images.
Immersive sound design by The AudioRoom adds an extra layer, with the rumble of the sun's power literally shaking the space and drawing the audience into the universe. And to top it all off, violinist Siobhan Lloyd-Jones joins the musical journey, adding a touch of elegance with her live strings. With this trifecta of elevated visuals, sound, and live music, the 2025 show promises to be both informative and poetic, with just the right rhythm and pace to keep you engaged and entertained.
What's on the horizon for the Universe on Stage
Photo: Supplied.
Hidden Giants is not just a performance but a piece of a larger universe in motion by the Universe on Stage – and it’s expanding fast with plans to scale up big time. While the creative side continues to evolve, the business side is booming with future plans for a fashion line and books. They've already expanded into three key performance spheres: live public shows, private events, and school gigs. Whether it’s a candlelight concert for a corporate or a kid-friendly interactive talk at a school, Universe on Stage tailors each experience to different age groups and themes. This franchise is now gearing up for a whole lot more – ready to conquer both the universe and the stage.
Visit universeonstage.com or follow @theuniverseonstage on Instagram to find out more.
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