Moth by Matt Wilson. The Hope Theatre, Upper Street, Islington to 02 December 2023.

2**: William Russell.

“Interesting, complicated, over-long sci fi drama.”

Caught this science fiction drama towards the end of its run – and it was worth catching but staging something that consists of two 75 minute acts plus a 20 minute interval starting at 7.4pm in a room above a pub is really a very bad idea. Both writer and director Claire Cole should have used a blue pencil to delete large chunks of it. By the end of act one it was a case of had I been a paying customer enough would have been enough. The man next to me just fell asleep. Actually the cast of six do deserve credit for delivering good performances and learning a script that is very complicated and full of people saying the same things in different times so for them 3***.

The world has vanished into a black hole following an accident involving a moth and a ball of string in particle physics laboratory but there are survivors somewhere in the galaxy and scientist Nikolai (Will Osbon) is one of those working out what happened and why which involves interrogating Meredith Latimer (Joseph Vause), a nice young man who somehow or other has vanished into that black hole but keeps disappearing from and then reappearing in the brave new world where he meets people he has known in the real old world eight years before. I do not intend to explain the plot as to be quite honest I did not understand it – author Wilson has ideas aplenty but setting them out with the clarity a play demands is something he has not mastered. In a film you can get away with things because audiences can be dazzled by special effects. In a fringe theatre that is not possible but all credit to the set designer as wonders are worked with a sheet or two and awful lot of string. The point about a fringe theatre is it should be somewhere to try out plays and flex one’s creative muscles for all concerned and this is the perfect example of what really is a work in progress – Dr Who in its various manifestations is quite a good place to start if seeking how to get away with things the audience may not understand but will take at face value.

Cast

Joseph Vause – Meredith Latimer.

Nikolai – Will Osbon.

Charlotte Powell – Tommy.

Connie Peel – Effy.

Ezri Mannion – Sadie.

Matt Wilson – Jonathon.

Creatives

Director – Claire Cole.