Camden Fringe 2019: Is This the End for Captain Space? at Tristan Bates Theatre
Astronomy has always been at the forefront of Captain Space’s (Isobel Hamilton) mind, ever since she could remember. So when the time finally comes for the young space scientist to realise her dreams and head off on a wild intergalactic adventure with sidekick and advisor The Computer (Fergus Macdonald), the stars could not be any more aligned – until disaster strikes.
A two-hander show, Is This the End For Captain Space? uses the concept of interplanetary drama to draw forth on the solitary and emotionally void states of the human mind. Macdonald, as Captain Space’s only accompaniment during her voyage into the unknown, is a metaphorical reminder as to how the technological age has hindered face-to-face interactions, highlighting the effects that its addictive nature has had on people’s mental health.
The piece is immersive; throughout its entirety, the cast can be seen interacting with audience members, handing them the kind of ethereal power that enables the spectators to have a say in Captain Space’s fate. Films like Deep Impact and Armageddon come to mind as viable comparatives to Richard Yuill’s production, especially during the final sequences when Hamilton’s character confronts her nearest and dearest at home to say, what she thinks, will be her last goodbyes.
Well written is the play, marrying the crisis that often comes with existentialism with the awakening of self-discovery. Though philosophical in nature, Is This the End For Captain Space? does have its fair share of humour added, largely due to Macdonald, whose carefreeness and charismatic aura provide much of the show’s comedic timing, together with its cosmic instrumental tracks, in order to bring to life the sensation that the characters are inhabiting a different solar system altogether.
Ghazaleh Golpira
Photo: Last Fleet Theatre
Is This the End for Captain Space? is at Tristan Bates Theatre from 6th until 10th August 2019. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.
For further information about Camden Fringe 2019 visit the festival website here.
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