Minority Report at the Lyric Hammersmith

Taken from Philip K Dick’s 1956 short story, which itself was adapted into the 2002 Steven Spielberg film starring Tom Cruise, the classic sci-fi story espouses questions of morality, ethical conflicts and the cons of policing through near-constant surveillance.

In director Max Webster’s production, written by David Haig, protagonist John Anderton is Julia Anderton (Jodie McNee), CEO of British Pre-Crime and a neuroscientist in 2050. The first few minutes are comprised of a long monologue, beginning as a typical piece of British theatre with dry quips, but (thankfully) turning darker. In this future, the population have been fitted with Neopin, a device tracking brain activity and biometrics, to catch criminals before they have committed a crime.

This adaptation is faithful to the original; Dick’s estate informed Haig, as long as the title and the notion of pre-crime remained, he could have full artistic freedom. The defining wow factor is production design by Jon Bausor, coupled with Webster’s direction, giving the piece its star quality. When doors open to a large space, it’s reminiscent of Dr Who’s Tardis, deceptively expansive. The science-fiction features are ingenious, whether it’s AI assistant David (a highlight performance from Tanvi Virmani) who appears out of thin air in a hologram at Julia’s beck and call, or the futuristic cars opening from the front, swaying gently to and fro, mimicking movement on the road; it’s five stars for production and set design.

But, alas, there is more to a show than just the cool aesthetics. This version of Minority Report does not hold you captive and leaves one feeling a little deflated, where any real investment in the characters is lacking, even when Julia’s freedom is at stake.

Although it makes you mull over the pervasive issues concerning our very own existence and society at large – and how, in the novelist’s world, Pre-Crime is clearly not infallible – this adaptation misses the mark, despite the visually stunning set pieces, and cool new-age musical score, ultimately falling flat.

Selina Begum
Images: Marc Brenner

Minority Report is at the Lyric Hammersmith from 20^th April until 18^th May 2024. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch the trailer for Minority Report here: