The Time Machine

• Liam Hainey
• 9 August 2017

A disturbing journey into the unknown

HG Wells' The Time Machine was a pioneering piece of science fiction and has inspired countless works in the same vein since its publication over a hundred years ago.

However, many of those imitators have relied on big budgets and elaborate sets to create the impression of futuristic worlds so different to our own. This stage adaptation takes a different approach. Relying on a sparsely dressed stage and the talent of Stephen Cunningham (playing the unnamed time traveler), this production allows the imagination displayed by Wells to shine through.

When the time traveller moves 800,000 years into the future, it is Cunningham's convincing sense of wonder and awe that take us with him. His performance is rich in a manic intensity that can't help but call to mind the BBC's Tardis-dwelling, time-traveling hero.

Cunningham's wide eyes and rapid delivery are essential for the audience to become invested in the strange world that he finds himself in. As he moves further into the future and towards the death of the planet, his dread reaches a frenetic level that expertly hammers home the horror of our inevitable downfall.

Assembly Roxy, until 28 Aug (not 15), 3pm, £12--£13 (£11--£12).