The Time Machine - A Comedy: Lichfield Garrick Review

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Tue 19 Mar 2024 - Sat 23 Mar 2024

This is HG Wells' classic sci-fi novel about time travel - but probably as you've never seen it before! Sure, the actual time machine is there, and you get to encounter a ferocious Morlock in Earth's far-distant future. But not much else of the author's 19th-century masterpiece, which clearly stands the test of time (pun clearly intended!) remains the same.

The Time Machine - A Comedy, which is presented by the excellent Original Theatre company, has, on its own admission, been (very) loosely adapted from the HG Wells novel. Written by Steven Canny and John Nicholson, and cleverly directed by Orla O’Loughlin, it is currently running at the Lichfield Garrick in Staffordshire until Saturday 23 March, before continuing its UK spring tour.



Direct from its successful stage run in London, The Time Machine - A Comedy sees the impressive and hard-working cast of George Kemp, Amy Revelle and Michael Dylan ultimately deliver a message of friendship and hope amidst all the mayhem on stage. Against the backdrop of a set dominated by a giant clock face, it is immediately obvious that is no ordinary re-telling of the literary gem.

The three-strong cast is actually taking on the role of provincial theatre actors, busily trying to rehearse The Importance of Being Earnest, before George reveals to the audience that he is the great, great-grandson of HG Wells. Not only that, but the story of time travel is real after George discovers various tell-tale pieces of evidence alongside his ancestor's original manuscript, including Take That tickets from 2025! George then persuades his fellow actors to abandon Earnest for a play about HG Wells' actual time machine.



It is absurd but wonderfully silly, none more so when Michael - the one with the apparent scientific knowledge - seeks to explain the various time travel paradoxes, such as would you go back in time to kill the baby Hitler. What makes it hilarious is that George and Amy act out the 'explanations' using characters from EastEnders, Kermit and Miss Piggy, and, lastly, Harry and Meghan.

The story then travels back in time to 1895 where we meet HG Wells as he attempts to use his real-time machine for the first time. And, so, it becomes a very little stretch of the imagination, or that of the scriptwriters, for great, great grandson George to try out the machine for himself, which he had previously taken as merely an unusual piece of furniture. The play then seems to lose its way a bit in the second half when George desperately tries to alter time to prevent a somewhat unfortunate incident, which I will not reveal, from happening. Audience participation is called upon to keep things going.



UK Tour Dates
19-23 March Lichfield Garrick Theatre
Tickets / 01543412121

26-30 March Royal & Derngate, Northampton
Tickets / 01604624811

2-6 April Leeds Playhouse
Tickets / 01132137700

For further information about the theatre company, and to book tickets, visit: https://originaltheatre.com

To see the play at Lichfield Garrick go to: www.lichfieldgarrick.com



#theatre
#comedy
#arts_culture

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