War of the Worlds

H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds is one of the most adapted stories in history, having been reimagined countless times across film, radio, television and stage. Yet imitating the dog's bold new retelling, currently playing at The Arts Theatre Cambridge until Saturday 2nd May, feels unlike anything that has come before it. The company, led by Artistic Directors Pete Brooks, Andrew Quick and Simon Wainwright, have spent 25 years fusing live performance with film and projection technology, and The War of the Worlds feels like the perfect vehicle for everything they do best.

The show employs a unique cinetheatre approach, blending live performance and video in real time. Three screens flank the stage whilst an overhead screen dominates above, with miniature model environments used in tandem with live camera work to create a cinematic spectacle that somehow manages to feel both intimate and breathtakingly vast at the same time. It is a staging concept that was nothing short of mesmerising to watch unfold.

Despite the sheer magnitude of the story being told, the entire cast numbers just four performers. At the centre of it all is Gareth Cassidy's Will Travers, whose performance is simply extraordinary. Acting throughout with total commitment, he commands both the stage and the camera simultaneously, never once losing the thread of a character who carries the weight of the entire production.. He is joined by Bonnie Baddoo, Morgan Bailey and Amy Dunn, three masterful performers who move fluidly between operating cameras, working with props and models to frame each shot and stepping in to inhabit a whole range of different characters. The precision and coordination required to pull this off is staggering, yet it never feels laboured or mechanical. It feels alive.