An action-packed race across time to understand what’s really precious, with challenging themes that are sensitively managed.Rating
Excellent!
Children’s theatre is not all cuddly bunnies and wheels on buses, and Breach Theatre‘s latest production at New Diorama Theatre is an excellent example of how valuable good drama can be for discussing difficult subjects with young people. In Time Sliders by Billy Barrett & Ellice Stevens, Zakk, a 9-year-old boy, is faced with the prospect of his grandmother dying. A time-traveling adventure using a magic bicycle found in her spare room enables him to go back to key points in history where he meets her younger self, and together they search for a precious lost cycling medal, which she’s been asking for in 2026. An action-packed, dynamic story then creates a safe space for difficult discussions of the reality of losing someone and what happens when people die.
The cast of three brings tons of energy to the piece. Defender Nyanhete as Zakk keeps his character just the right side of believably young, while emotional responses to difficult topics are delicately handled and never mawkish. He has a lovely relationship with Bryony Davies playing his Nan, Tina, who is a charismatic and engaging storyteller, even when cycling at 30mph on a static bike! They are ably supported by Ellice Stevens, who multi-roles the many characters they meet on their journey through time and back again.
Ella Barraclough‘s flexible set design is based on a selection of cardboard boxes. It offers a sense of temporality that reflects the idea of the spare room and also suggests an archive of history, through which the pair searches. The boxes are built up into a wall that is cleverly used for projecting vintage photos using Nan’s slide project, which is an imaginative choice but sometimes gives too subtle an image to be totally effective behind high-energy action.
From 1970s London to the Jurassic to Ancient Egypt, Zakk and Tina whirl through time periods in non-chronological order, reflecting the process of managing Zakk’s confusion, and what better object to be at the centre of time cycles than a bike? This one is used dynamically and dramatically, with the two performers finding a multitude of ways to ride it and offering exciting physical performances. A highlight is Tina’s hair being blasted comically by the wind (or a leaf blower, depending on how far you can suspend disbelief). Owen Crouch’s textured sound design also augments the shifting emotional journey beautifully.
Alongside the comedy, the fast action, and music that celebrate liveliness, there are some sensitive, quiet moments. A scene where the two chat frankly about death over an Egyptian sarcophagus hits just the right tone, giving the facts candidly without becoming overly sentimental.
At times, the story feels a little unnecessarily complicated. A sequence where the team zips through the whole history of humankind is rather relentless, and although full of interesting facts stands apart from the more human connections with time so successfully presented elsewhere.
Time Sliders is a great instance of an entertaining show that offers its young audience food for thought. Within a lively adventure that leans into familiar children’s interests such as sport, dinosaurs, and Ancient Egypt, it always has the preciousness of family and human care at its heart.
Writers: Billy Barrett & Ellice Stevens
Devised by the Cast: Tika Mu’tamir & Joe Boylan
Director: Billy Barrett
Set & Costume Designer: Ella Barraclough
Sound Designer & Composer: Owen Crouch
Lighting Designer: Alex Fernandes
Time Sliders has completed its run at the New Diorama Theatre.
You can read more about the show in our recent interview with Billy Barrett and Ellice Stevens.
