![Dave Hearn, Michael Dylan, Amy Revelle 2 - The Time Machine - Manuel Harlan](https://www.sardinesmagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Dave-Hearn-Michael-Dylan-Amy-Revelle-2-The-Time-Machine-Manuel-Harlan-jpg.webp)
Show: The Time Machine – A Comedy
Society: Park Theatre (professional)
Venue: PARK THEATRE. 13 Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP
Credits: By Steven Canny and John Nicholson. (Very) loosely adapted from the novel by HG Wells. Directed by Orla O’Loughlin. Produced by Original Theatre in association with Park Theatre
Type: Sardines
Author: John Chapman
Performance Date: 05/12/2023
The Time Machine
John Chapman | 06 Dec 2023 13:44pm
Photo: Manuel Harlan
Time flies when you’re having fun!
Original Theatre’s production of The Time Machine, currently at Park Theatre falls into the genre of famous works of literature reimagined for a minimal cast and invariably played for laughs. Writers Steven Canny and John Nicholson take the bare bones of Wells’s (let’s be honest sometimes tedious) original narrative and spin a wild and crazy ride that careers off in a multitude of directions and that becomes essentially a Russian doll set of narrative strands. The trio of performers originally plan a production of The Importance Of Being Earnest but cast member Dave Wells (descendant of HG) hijacks this to mount the story of his own ancestor travelling through time. Subsequently it is discovered that the inherited time machine really works. Chaos, albeit highly choreographed chaos, ensues!
I felt that the first half took some time to get going; there is a lot of heavy lifting to be done in terms of setting context, character and theme. We do get some snippets of action based on the original with the traveller ending up in the year 802,701 where there are encounters with the peaceable Eloi and a cannibalistic Morlock. That said there are plenty of decent attempts to spice up the content with humorous appearances by Brian Cox (scientist not actor), Harry and Meghan and the Muppets. And the influence of Mischief Theatre and The Play That Goes Wrong replete with “unscheduled” cock ups is well in evidence; in one sequence the lines get gloriously out of synch, for instance. It’s in the second half though where things really start to fly. Wells’s narrative takes a back seat while Canny/Nicholson’s script examines some of the ramifications of time travel and a whole scenario about changing the course of one’s personal history takes over. What happens if you try and prevent a tragic event from occurring? Will the universe actually allow this to happen? Far from being a dry scientific examination of this hypothesis, it is all highly entertaining. There’s plenty of audience interaction and at least three people who were onlookers became an intricate part of the action, eating pizza, creating an artwork and dressing up as a Morlock. As a particular deadline approaches (no spoilers) matters become ever more frantic and we’re witness to the bizarre spectacle of a girl group/Lady Bracknell mash up complete with Irish dancing followed by a huge nod to a famous Buster Keaton moment which brings the house down.
There’s no doubting the huge amounts of energy which the three performers bring to the set up. Dave Hearn capitalises on his recognisable (from Mischief Theatre outings) grinning idiot persona, brim full of (over) confidence and the main driving force behind the chaos. Amy Revelle neatly establishes herself as the cynical feminist who questions everything but really just wants to be Cher. Finally there’s the much put upon Michael Dylan who really comes into his own during the second half and provides a well realised foil to the histrionics of the other two. He gets to deliver the “What a piece of work is a man” speech from Hamlet providing a few moments of serious philosophising amongst the surrounding mayhem; just one more example of a non sequitur being thrown into the mix.
And therein lies my main criticism. The whole show is stuffed with just one too many bits of clever nonsense. It’s almost as though having come up with a fun idea the writers and director Orla O’Loughlin could not quite bear to edit it out in the interests of everybody’s sanity. Still it’s great fun as long as you don’t try to stop and think. If you’re looking for an homage to Wells then really, don’t bother, but if you want an undemanding diverting night out with an increasing element of playfulness then you’d have to travel a long way to beat this….perhaps to the end of time itself.
- : admin
- : 05/12/2023
Amy RevelleDave HearnH.G. WellsMichael DylanOriginal TheatreOrla O'LoughlinPark Theatre