THE TIME MACHINE

A very difficult piece to direct, as much of the production (particularly in Act 2), relied on the audience’s willingness to participate, and the actor’s reaction – which I think worked really well overall.  It was amusing, although I felt I had to listen well to get all the nuances and meanings.  Perhaps not among my favourite plays, but there was no doubting the cast and Director’s commitment and enthusiasm for the piece.

The lighting was relevant to the sections, I liked the lights at the back of the stage – which changed colour and rotated between the scenes.  Sound was good and music well-chosen and relevant.

The setting was minimal, but I liked the green swirly patterns on the back wall, which created a calming and sometimes other-worldly effect.  The Time Machine was great, it certainly had impact – although I would have liked to have seen it take a bow – as it was integral to the production!!  The falling of the archway at the end had a powerful effect.

Costumes were suitable for the actors and their various personas – some quick changes accomplished well.

The actors played themselves, in that they were referred to by their given names, but then played characters within the script, which was interesting. 

Ben Dards, Vicky Wells and Tegan Wilson fulfilled all roles, and although I felt Tegan might have been a little young for the part, I appreciated how well she integrated with the others, and for a first ‘proper’ part did very well.  Ben is always very able, and immerses himself in his characters, with Vicky showing once again her experience in her switching between personas – they both integrated well, and drew Tegan into the group, which was tight-knit and coped well with the intricacies of the script.

Whilst the script had some amusing/funny moments, noticing audience reaction, it was subjective, and some people obviously found different parts funny – which is always the case.

My thanks to the Rep for their hospitality, another enjoyable evening’s entertainment.

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