Midsummer thoughts on Time Travel

The Summer Solstice occurred at 10:51 this morning and today is Midsummer, the longest day of the year. So, as has become my custom on Solstices and Equinoxes, here is a bit of quarterly bloggins.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to see Robert Lloyd Parry AKA Nunkie Theatre Productions give a genuinely astounding performance of H. G. Wells’ The Time Machine at Square Chapel in Halifax. If you’re not familiar with Robert’s work (which I’m sure I must have mentioned before) then he does these incredible one man performances – usually of M. R. James stories. Here’s a trailer for his latest DVD release.

Robert’s production of The Time Machine is also a one man show, but it’s a lot more physical than his James performances. There are three or four props on stage with him, there are fairly standard (though highly effective) stage lighting effects, and there’s some sound (mostly ambient), and with just those elements I genuinely forgot it was only one person on stage. It was exciting, creepy, funny, moving. It was just brilliant.

The show is touring at the moment and if you can make it to any of the performances then you should. You really, really should. You’ll regret it if you don’t.

The Time Traveller - Photo: Kevin Jamieson

At a few of the performances Robert has invited speakers to give pre-show talks. Some are scientists, academics, and the like, and one – last night – was me.

I managed to arrive at hour later than I was supposed to because of train delays so I literally walked into the venue, was handed a pint of best bitter and launched into my talk. It was filmed, but I’m not exactly sure I want to see that. Here’s some photographic proof (and kind words) though:

People seemed to enjoy the talk anyway so I thought I might share my notes with you – slightly edited (probably not enough) and minus all the underlining of dates and names I have to do, of course.

[Ah, I suppose I’d better put in a cut here as this is going to be quite long]