Review: A Message for the Future, Half Moon Theatre

Margate-based Crescendorious’ A Message for the Future is a 45-minute theatrical experience with an add-on play-and-stay session for 0–3s. Combining a plethora of multi-sensory elements within a gig-style live music storytelling aesthetic, this is a joyfully generous piece, especially in its helping of live music throughout. It’s eclectic and at times high-energy in feel, with a strong sense of celebrating community, nature and the possibilities a garden can offer when you take a moment to look and learn. Developed with more than 150 local families, through conversations and play at Windmill Community Garden in the company’s hometown, this is clearly a piece made with its audience very much at heart.

We’re welcomed into the garden through an arch of colourful, soft, cushioned flowers and hearts, before meeting punk poet Dandelion (Brigite Aphrodite), a rock ’n’ roll Minibeast (Gaz Tomlinson) and an operatic Super Herb (Sophie Coward). Projections of bees, flowers and dandelion clocks combine with atmospheric sound and shifting lights to create an immersive world, with a zone where the gig instruments are. There’s a guitar, flute, karaoke-style microphone, sound loops and plenty of encouragement to sing, stamp, wiggle and join in with the band.

When the show lets go and really embraces that gig energy, it’s magical. The music is fantastic, while the surround-sound soundtrack fills the space with rhythm and texture. A mini-beast rock song, complete with saxophone played from within the audience gets everyone stamping their feet, while a beautiful dandelion sequence uses cloth, fans and rich orange lighting to create the sensation of seeds floating through the air. Later, a huge chiffon cloth drifts above the audience and bubbles fill the space as the show moves towards its hopeful finale.

There’s plenty of lovely detail along the way. Names are collected on leaves, gentle singing and signing welcomes everyone in one by one, adults are offered lavender bags to wear on their shoulders, and there are reassuring reminders about loudness, with ear defenders available for those who need them. Herbs are mixed into little potions, wishes and dreams are shared, and a recurring invitation to think about the natural world and our place within it gives the whole experience a warm, generous heart.

But I’m left wondering whether the show quite knows what it wants to be. There are moments of real theatrical excitement, but the dramaturgical structure can feel meandering and stylistically random, slipping too often into something closer to a sensory play session. The characters are so lovely and endearing that there’s little sense of jeopardy or dramatic tension – perhaps deliberately so – and hence occasionally I’m left wondering whether some of the references and theatrical ideas are really aimed at the adults rather than the very young audience. But perhaps this is the point. A Message for the Future offers a meditative, immersive space where children can explore, respond and simply enjoy being together. And when the music kicks in, and the audience is encouraged to get up, boogie, sing and become part of the action, the piece suddenly feels wonderfully alive.

This is a big-hearted celebration of nature, creativity, kindness and community, ending with everyone’s names being spoken once again – a lovely full circle is complete. It may not quite have a defined dramatic shape, and it may hold back a little too easily when the gig style takes centre stage, but there’s loads here to make young audiences smile, move and feel very welcome.

Director / Dramaturg – Liv Morris
Writer – Brigitte Aphrodite
Composer / Sound Designer – Quiet Boy / Gaz Tomlinson
Multi-Sensory Expert – Sophie Coward
Set Designer / Costume Designer – Xander Lo Lo Noble
Lighting Designer – Craig West
Prop Maker – Gemma Pharo
Access – Neelam Saredia-Brayley
Mentors – Frozen Light Theatre 
Co-Producer – artsdepot
Co-Producer – Big Man Productions (Laura Betty Haynes)
Originally commissioned by Southbank Centre

A Message For The Future has completed its performances at the Half Moon, but the tour continues across the UK, including one future gig in London at Grand Junction, Paddington on Saturday 17 October.