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An ambitious sci-fi production that is tonally inconsistent, but strong performances and staging show the potential in this original production.Summary
Rating
Ok
When The Time Comes, Teater Rendezvous’s new play at The Space, is set in a far future where the world has been ravished by climate change, a privileged few live in a protective dome and everyone else struggles to survive in a barren wasteland. This is closer to the setting of the seminal science fiction video game Dark Reign than a typical piece of fringe theatre, which makes it an ambitious piece of storytelling.
The sci-fi setting is introduced quickly through some heavy-handed but effective exposition, which sets the scene for a high concept story. Unfortunately, the production does not live up to the expectations created by the beginning.
The script moves from humour to character drama, often in the same scene. However, rather than transcending this divide, it falls ineffectively in the middle. The humour is not consistent enough and the set pieces are not comedic enough. The drama does not create a strong enough sense of peril, despite the social and environmental conflict.
The plot follows Juliet (Mikka Chantal Deleuran), one of The Chosen Ones, the greedy and vain people who live in the abundant world of The Olympic, who are protected from the ruined environment. Juliet is the daughter of The Chosen One’s leader, Athena (Thora Maria Bisted), who is forcing her to marry Napoleon (Damian Schedler Cruz) to produce children.
Juliet meets Romeo (Sune Severin Ratleff), a Rat, or a person living outside The Olympic, who is made into a sex slave for Madame Morgana (Sophie Aeva), Napoleon’s mother. The two embark on a doomed Shakespearean love affair and Juliet learns about the suffering outside The Olympic. One scene cleverly inverts the famous Romeo and Juliet balcony scene, with Juliet calling out from below to her Romeo.
As well as riffing on Shakespeare, the story raises points about the environmental ruin we are hurtling towards, the treatment of migrants, inequality, social class, and personal freedom. All of these have potential for great drama but remain underdeveloped.
There are many funny scenes. Such as the Greek Chorus making suggestive comments when playing statues in one of The Olympic’s sculpture gardens. Scenes like this provide moments of absurdist comedy. However, the script does not fully commit to lampooning its political targets, the characters are not ridiculous enough to be inherently funny and we remain at a distance from them, thus preventing detailed character drama or satire.
There are strong performances, especially from Bisted as Athena. There is also simple and effective use of minimal staging, projections and music to convey the wider world, no small challenge when this is the world of the far future.
On paper this should be a strong show. Teater Rendezvous has assembled an interesting collaboration between theatre makers in London and Copenhagen, with a largely Danish cast, and there is no shortage of funny moments or big ideas. However, it is tonally inconsistent and the tragic climax does not have the emotional resonance it needs.
This is an ambitious work of sci-fi theatre that takes on a lot of storytelling risks – and I enjoyed seeing a risk-taking and original production – but the inconsistent tone and lack of detailed characterisation left me unmoved.
Directed by Desiré Mangaard
Written by Thora Pedersen and Desiré Mangaard
Produced by: Desiré Mangaard, Thora Pedersen and Teater Rendezvous
When the Time Comes plays at The Space until 10th February 2024.
Further information and booking can be found here.
