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A rather fun and silly play set in space. It makes for an amusing hour but a tighter script is needed if it wants to really take the next steps.Summary
Rating
Good
Let’s face it, we all know deep down that we have royally screwed up this planet and it’s only a matter of time before we have to up sticks and leave for somewhere new. Taking us there is L Squared Theatre‘s Far Out, sending three hardy souls on a quest to seek out a new home for whoever might have survived. But it’s soon very apparent that yet again capitalism is calling the shots, without any real care for humanity as a whole.
Tasked with the quest are Jed, Alma and Ellis, who have been thrown together by a random algorithm that puts three-person crews together for each of the many spaceships sent out to search for a suitable alternative to Earth. That algorithm might not be all it’s made out to be, because it really seems that the only thing connecting this trio of misfits is their queerness. This is just the first clue that those running things may not be telling the whole truth about their intentions.
As serious as the climate crisis and damage caused by capitalism may be, Far Out does not take itself at all seriously. It is instead all rather silly, which makes for an amusing hour. Performers Bertie Taylor-Smith, Atlanta Hayward and Bobby Wilkinson certainly have plenty of fun with a script that isn’t afraid of tackling the one question we all know we’d want to ask; how you poo in space. Each of the three portray very differing personalities; Jed is happy-go-lucky, Alma is a bit highly strung and determined to show she is captain material, while Ellis is anxious about everything, but luckily also a bit of a genius. So as you’ll guess, they clash early on, but even less surprisingly common ground is slowly found and bonds made, until we’re left with a close knit trio who manage somehow to save the day.
The whole team work well in bringing the fun to Far Out. Lauren Lambert-Moore’s direction along with Phao May‘s movement has the trio dancing around the spaceship and shaking in unison as they race through space. Curtis Argent‘s animation plays out boldly on the rear screen, showing us the stars whizzing by, and even a quick game of asteroids to celebrate a birthday. Then Arabella Wunderlich‘s set of simple seats and desks, along with a tablet, keypads and game controllers does more than enough to place us on the spaceship, as the little crew hurtles through space.
As a story about friendship, the show has some lovely little touches that allow us to be drawn into the gang’s ultimate fate. But the show’s current problem seems to be how it tackles the overarching theme of the climate crisis and its incompatibility with capitalism. This just feels underdeveloped. Serious moments, where they discuss whether it’s right to risk destroying another planet with human greed, feel forced in to remind us of this central message. They just don’t quite gel. It means that the lasting effect is that there is no lasting memory.
But even with this issue, Far Out is still a fun show that showcases what L Squared Theatre can do. The creative ideas that have gone into this show already are impressive, so tighten up that script and it could have a lot more life in it.
Written by: Libby Williamson
Directed by: Lauren Lambert-Moore
Produced by: L Squared Theatre
Set design by: Arabella Wunderlich
Far Out has completed its current run.
