“The Time Machine”: A Feminist Retelling to tour Scottish theatres

Source: @jordanandskinner Instagram.

By Abigail McGarel

Glasgow Thon Theatre is set to welcome Jordan & Skinner’s production of “The Time Machine: A feminist Retelling” showing from Wednesday 26th to Friday 28th of October. 

Directors Melanie Jordan and Caitlin Skinner along with their team have reimagined the classic all-male sci-fi novella, “The Time Machine” by HG Wells, but with a modern twist, having an all-female cast. 

Set in a dystopian future, the time machine arrives in the year 802701. The audience is transported to a version of Earth where humanity is broken into two factions. Jordan and Skinner explore a divide of the classes, with the ‘Eloí’ being the affluent tribe living above ground, whilst the working class ‘Morlocks’, whose job is to feed and clothe the ‘Eloí’ are an underground dwelling faction.

“The Time Machine” was a book that did not reflect Jordan & Skinner’s experience as a woman living and working in the 21st century. So, they reinvented classic sci-fi fiction by juxtaposing HG Wells, an upper-class Victorian man, with the radical female extremists, surviving in a world where humans eating humans is the only way to rebel.

The largely unscripted nature of the performance, allows the cast to express their talent and free thought, providing a refreshing, unique, must-see production.

Source: @jordanandskinner Instagram

A feminist retelling arrives in theatres at a poignant time when the British public is facing a cost of living crisis, and the class divide in the play seems ever more prevalent. Creator Melanie Jordan said: “The more time has passed, the more true the book has felt.” The show highlights the impact that industrialisation may have on the future of humanity. 

The trailer for the show features a memorable rap that concisely highlights what the show has to offer. “Batten down the hatches, the end is coming. This is not an assumption, this is a fact,“ is chanted by the powerful cast as they brace themselves for the apocalypse. 

Being the largest production the company has created to date, the show on Thursday 27th of October will offer a unique performance with a British Sign Language translator throughout the show. This will be followed by a post-show discussion exploring the themes of the play, with creators Caitlin Skinner and Melanie Jordan and members of the cast. 

Promotional poster for, “The Time Machine: A Feminist Retelling” illustrating the four empowering protagonist in the show. source: www.visitscotand.com

The Time Machine Radical Feminists will be performed in various theatres around Scotland. To secure your ticket, you can book online at www.visitscotland.com or call 01415524267.