A visually impressive show that demonstrates what can be done with enough imagination, but doesn’t quite deliver on the anticipation it builds up.Rating
Good
Summer’s over, which in my diary means we are in spooky season, and of course Old Red Lion’s GrimFest. But before then, the chance to grab a bit of sci fi horror closer to home, at Twickenham’s The Exchange, was an opportunity that couldn’t be refused.
The Void gives us the classic sci-fi set-up. Earth is long gone, no doubt destroyed by our own greed and stupidity. Flung far out in space, Ranger Flint is alone but searching for other life, so when he comes across The Odyssey he doesn’t hesitate to step aboard and explore what appears an almost abandoned craft, where unsurprisingly there’s a lot of weird things happening!
Caitlin Mawhinney’s set and Andrew Crofts’ lighting, alongside writer Ryan Simons’ direction, do wonders in turning this into what feels such an expansive show. The set is impressive for a show that’s only stopping here for a few days; it looks substantial and very much the inners of a depleted spaceship. There’s also great use of video to help drive the story on, and even a smaller video screen in use on a door, which again helps in giving the visuals extra depth. It’s cleverly used not just to create a sense that we have moved location, but to allow for some brilliantly inventive visual effects. The lighting does that other clever trick of ensuring there are plenty of shadows, so we can imagine every sort of horror lurking in that darkness.
With such great aspects, it’s therefore a bit of a shame that there just isn’t enough of the horror. The anticipation that the first half brings is never quite fulfilled as we approach the conclusion, a point where any good horror will have us gripping the arms of the seats. There’s ample opportunity for this; a scene in the ship’s morgue is crying out for a little more scare, but it never truly arrives.
Much like the horror, the final payoff as we discover the truth also comes up a little short. It’s all rather confusing and underwhelming, which does a serious disservice to all the work that has gone into getting us there.
Yet perhaps the biggest problem is that it’s just way too loud. No theatre production should be so loud you can literally feel it rumble through the seats. The Exchange isn’t a massive place, so the volume could easily be dialled down a little…or actually a lot. Worse, actors are mic’d up, and again you have to question why. It can only be assumed that given this is a touring show other venues are bigger and might need amplification. But here it’s totally unnecessary, although with the background sound so loud maybe it’s so the actors can be heard above it! It also means that while watching actors at close range their voices are hitting you from a different direction, leaving a rather annoying disconnect between sight and sound.
Again, it is a real shame, because both actors clearly work hard. Whilst Alex Moran’s Flint has the bigger role, it’s writer/director Simons as Blair who steals their shared scenes. Simons has an air of mystery around him, and is very much the mad scientist in the Frankenstein mould. Saying that, Moran’s space walk and floating on stage is an amazing piece of performance.
As we reach the end it feels as if the show never quite hits the heights the various elements promised. It needs to lean more into the horror and deliver a few extra jumps. But there’s still plenty to admire about The Void. Given how I always moan about the lack of horror and sci-fi on the stage, this production must be applauded for the ambition it shows. Let’s hope this is the start of a promising spooky season.
Written and directed by: Ryan Simons
Dramaturg by: Steve Marmion
Set design by: Caitlin Mawhinney
Set construction by: Will T Hunter
Composed by: Ben Parsons
Lighting design by: Andrew Crofts
Sound design by: Nick Sagar
Produced by: Thunder Road Theatre
The Void tours until Saturday 11 October.
