On Wednesday, we were invited to see The Time Machine - A Comedy at The Lowry, Salford. Read what our reviewer Karen Ryder had to say about this brilliant comedy production...


Tonight is my second night of an Original Theatre take over at the Lowry Theatre and I’m going from psychological thriller to side splitting comedy.  I am of course talking about the corker of a show that is The Time Machine – A Comedy.  I saw this brilliantly indescribable production last year, and it is still a knock out, unique night of the best kind of bonkers out there.  You’ll never look at time the same way again.  In fact, there are plenty of things you’ll never look at the same way again after watching this show!  It is so fast paced that you may just meet yourself coming back, unless of course that would squish some time travel continuum, paradoxy kind of thing.  But never fear, for The Time Machine – A Comedy will not only explain all that science stuff to you via popular culture references and Eastenders style duff duff cliffhangers, it will also give you a mini taster of The Importance Of being Ernest, fiercely funny farcical moments, and a chance to be a part of the show for yourself!

This cast of three, comprised of George Kemp, Michael Dylan and Amy Revelle, have to be amongst the hardest working performers out there.  Their dedication and love of the show shines through with every detail, every move, and every moment, making it so easy for us to sit back, relax, and howl with uncensored laughter.  Anyone watching this show is in for a treat.  But how to describe it……….ermmmmmmmm, I mean I’ll give it a go.  Three friends have formed a theatre company and are in rehearsals for The Importance Of being Ernest, but George discovers family heirlooms that belonged to his Great Great Grandad HG Wells.  He claims they provide proof that his novel, The Time Machine was based on fact, not fiction, and he sets out to prove it via a new play that he has written.  He cajoles his somewhat unwilling friends to switch plays, but it all goes a little bit wrong and George finds himself in the future where something so bad happens that they have to find a way to break the paradoxes of the past.  If only they had been more careful with the stage props, if only they’d let Amy sing Cher, and if only they’d had that light PAT tested, then maybe the friends wouldn’t find themselves Irish Dancing to Bewitched in the middle of Salford!  Who knows?  Only time will tell.     

A large clock dominates the otherwise blank stage, which invites a plethora of props, scenery, and costumes to join the madness throughout the show.  A velvet chaise long, flip charts, a drinks cabinets, a time travelling chair, muppets, Morlocks, a pizza delivery, and Harry The Duke Of Sussex are some of the more sane things you’ll find randomly popping up in this production!  Throw in explosions, dry ice, hypnotic flashes, dodgy broken scenery that creates its own jokes, and you’re still only getting the tip of the iceberg as to the depth of creativity behind this show.  Even the interval music is thought out in its entirety, with fitting songs that not only play a part in the entire theme, but will have you humming and bopping along too.

The chaotically brilliant cast is made up of George Kemp (Bridgerton, One Man Two Guvnors), Michael Dylan (Wilf, One Man Two Guvnors, Outlander), and Amy Revelle (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, When Women Wee).  What a triumphant trio they are.  I have no idea where their unwavering energy comes from but if we could just bottle it and have a drop each day, well the world would be a much happier place.  Instantly aimable, you feel a part of their world.  You are wrapped in a big squishy hug that could equally turn into a conga at any given moment!  The camaraderie is palpable and generously shared with us as the audience, so that when we are invited to join in, you feel entirely safe to do so.  The entire cast multi roles, delivering a cacophony of characters from juicy and goofy parodies, to the heartfelt and classic period roles.  This is The Time Machine after all so no character is out of bounds as a possibility, meaning that what starts out as three friends wanting to perform a show can welcome folk from Victorian times, to Miss Piggy, Royalty, soap stars, and Morlocks!  And who knew that Oprah herself had a time machine too!  Amidst the chaos, there are equally beautiful moments, such as the one where we are called upon as an audience to help make it rain.  It is a simple yet stunning moment of theatre at its best. 

George Kemp charms the audience from the off and presents his character as an all round theatre hero who does every job possible from writing to directing, acting and producing, believing he is just that little bit better than everyone else.  His ability to speak directly to the audience in character and connect with us is a driving force of the show and proves to be of vital importance.  It is done with such a natural ease that you are hooked.  Brilliant timing, physical comedy and a little bit of cheeky charm warm us to his character, even when we should probably want to shake him!  And his realisations right at the end towards Michael are touchingly beautiful.

Michael Dylan brings us a character who is an actor trapped in a wannabe scientist’s body.  He is passionately excitable about scientific facts and is so bouncy and enthusiastic to share his love with his best friends.  He is side splittingly funny with the capability to make you belly laugh and uncontrollably cry with laughter one minute, then take your breath away and shed an emotional and genuinely heart felt tear the next.  Dylan will make you feel all the feels, leave you in awe with his comic genius, and blow your mind with his goosebump rendition of the Hamlet soliloquy.  He can talk to you or land a joke without saying a word for his reactions alone are priceless.  Amy Revelle is a force to be reckoned with and presents us with a character who is strong, zany, creatively intelligent and won’t be pushed around.  Her character work is so on pointe that I’m sure she must have been an impersonator in a previous timeline.  She is fast paced, a fabulous singer, and brilliantly bonkers, whilst somehow managing to maintain an element of authority.  In the midst of all this, her talent is such that she still manages to land important messages regarding friendship, loyalty and determination.  And her Cher is more Cher than Cher!!         

Directed by the irrepressible Orla O’Loughlin, this challenging play taken from a serious classic work of fiction and turned into a comedic farce, was never in any danger of ever becoming anything than the delight it is.  She has deliciously soaked up every intricate nuance of the intelligent and witty script by Steven Canny and John Nicholson and presented a giddy, whirlwind of a show without ever being disrespectful to the original source.  The entire creative team of Original Theatre should be applauded for their vision in taking on an existential narrative and paying homage to it whilst simultaneously standing up to gloom, despair and misery with an infectious optimism and fabulous flair.  She has placed such respectful trust in the cast, who pay it forward and put their trust in us as an audience, making the whole show ironically tick along like the perfect clock.  There is a solidarity and reassurance in the unknown and she sets the whole production alight with a fizz of joie de vivre.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Steven Canny and John Nicholson have put an Original Theatre Company stamp on yet another classic and created an entirely new hybrid of theatre.  Their ideas truly are original and challenge everyone involved, resulting in the most enjoyable entertainment there is.  This is the kind of show for everyone, that you can watch and enjoy with family, friends, and just have an evening of bonding through laughter.  What a gift.  And yet through the unadulterated humour, they still manage to retain subtle echoes of Wells’ explorations, such as the downsides to pushing the boundaries of technology which is so relevant even today with the debates surrounding AI. 

The Time Machine – A Comedy is a night at the theatre that won’t disappoint.  And if by some remote chance it were to disappoint you, then you’re not the kind of person it is aimed at and probably won’t have read this far anyway, so won’t even be thinking of going along, ergo you couldn’t therefore be disappointed, so we’re all still on the same page anyway.  That logic makes sense to me and fits right into this mad cap world of time travel.  But what is so wonderful about this show is that it understands how to balance the fun with heart, and really packs a punch with its message about friendship, loyalty, and living life to your own truth.  It stares mortality in the face and takes it on with a song, some breadsticks, and a plan of action.  It tells us that we don’t have to give up, we can be presented with the worst of situations and still have a choice in how we face it.  Do we wait for the inevitable, or do we dance?  I choose to dance, so thank you to all at The Time Machine – A Comedy for reminding us that even when life can be a bit pants, there’s always room for laughter.  

WE SCORE THE TIME MACHINE - A COMEDY...




The Time Machine - A Comedy is on The Lowry, Salford until Sat 27th January 2024.


WATCH OUR INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL DYLAN

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE!