Reviewed by Judd Hollander
In the closing narration of the classic Twilight Zone
television episode "Where is Everybody?" series creator Rod Serling
talks about isolation, the barrier of loneliness and the vastness of space. The
U.K.-based Original Theatre Company extrapolates on these same elements by
tying them to an event which riveted the entire world, with their online
production of "Apollo 13: The Dark Side of the Moon".
The film opens in 2020 where former U.S.
astronauts Jim Lovell (Philip Franks) and Fred Haise (Geoff Aymer) talk with a
Researcher (Poppy Roe) about their ill-fated space mission of 50 years earlier.
When, approximately 56 hours after launch, an explosion in one of the ship's
oxygen tanks forced the cancellation of their journey to the moon and thrust Lovell,
Haise (played in 1970 by Christopher Harper and Michael Salami respectively),
along with fellow astronaut Jack Swigert (Tom Chambers), into a desperate effort
simply to stay alive. For much of the next four days, the men lived in an almost
totally frozen and dark spacecraft - it being shut down to save power - as they
hurtled through space. Their travels taking them around the dark side of the
moon before starting their trajectory home. During the 25 minutes it took their
craft to traverse the back of the moon Lovell, Haise and Swigert were cut off
from all communications from home as they traveled farther away from Earth than
anyone has ever gone, before or since.
The time the astronauts spend on the dark side of the moon
constitutes the emotional heart of the film. While the conversation depicted
may be fiction - something explained early on - the elements explored are quite
real. Much of this is tied into writer Torben Betts' decision to make Haise an African-American.
This is not an instance of color-blind casting, but rather a way for the
character, by calling attention to his skin color, to ask questions and comment
on issues a non-minority could not. At least not with the same level of passion
or cultural believability. The back and forth between the astronauts -
particularly Haise and Swigert - force the audience to take a long hard look at
racial and political events going on at the time, with clear parallels to what
is happening in the world today. The 2020 Haise noting how the entire
experience made him feel far more connected to the world and how "we're
all in this life together". The film also offers a sobering glimpse of reality
in its the final moments when Lovell and Haise put on their face masks after
they have finished speaking to the Researcher and get ready to leave.
Franks and Aymer nicely show the gravitas of two old men who have been repeatedly asked the same questions time and time again, yet still manage to keep their answers fresh and non-condescending. Even if there are certain moments of their time in space they still won't talk about publicly. Roe does well as the Researcher, a woman who attempts to guide the conversation along while trying not to sound too far out of her depth. Harper, Salami and Chambers are fine as the 1970 astronauts, while Jenna Augen does a good job of always keeping things professional as the voice of CAPCOM.
Apollo 13: The Dark Side of The
Moon
Designed by David Woodhead
Edited by Tristan Shepherd
Sound design by Dominc Bilkey
Original music composed by Sophie Cotton
Movement direction by Simon Pittman
Casting by Ellie Collyer-Brisow CDG.
Produced by Original Theatre
Company.
Tickets: Starting at ₤20
Available through December 31
Running time: approximately 75 minutes
Reservations: originaltheatreonline.com
Featuring: Christopher Harper (Jim Lovell), Michael Salami (Fred Haise), Tom Chambers (Jack Swigert), Philip Franks (Present Day Lovell), Geoff Aymer (Present Days Haise), Poppy Roe (Researcher Patricia Cooper).
Written by Torben Betts
Directed by Alastair Whatley and Charlotte PetersDesigned by David Woodhead
Edited by Tristan Shepherd
Sound design by Dominc Bilkey
Original music composed by Sophie Cotton
Movement direction by Simon Pittman
Casting by Ellie Collyer-Brisow CDG.
Tickets: Starting at ₤20
Available through December 31
Running time: approximately 75 minutes
Reservations: originaltheatreonline.com
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