REVIEW ROUNDUP: Punchdrunk Officially Opens Doctor Who-Themed The Crash of the Elysium
Punchdrunk’s newest show, The Crash of the Elysium, has officially opened at the Manchester International Festival. Performances of the piece continue through July 17.
The Doctor Who-themed production, created by Felix Barrett and Tom MacRae and based on an original idea by series head writer Steven Moffat, centers around the wreck of a steamship and an exploration inside the remains. The show is aimed at children between the ages of six and twelve and will allow the young theatergoers to become part of the live adventure.
Many of the critics from U.K.’s daily papers have reported on the show and are finding much to praise in it.
Among the reviews are:
Daily Telegraph
The Crash of Elysium, Manchester International Festival, review
“As with all Punchdrunk ventures, the less you know in advance the better. It starts with a lecture about a cargo ship, the Elysium. Then alarms sound and soldiers burst in to take control of the situation and marshal their young charges. After that, with Matt Smith’s Doctor cut off, apparently doomed and able to communicate only via short bursts of video, it’s up to the children. The enemy? Drawn from the terrific Series 3 episode Blink, they’re as nightmarish as any Dalek or Cyberman.”
“Older heads may chide Tom MacRae’s script for being convoluted, and the resolution feels rushed…But in all key respects this is just what the Doctor’s army of fans ordered; it’s fast, fun and at times memorably frightening.”
Financial Times
The Crash of the Elysium, MediaCityUK, Manchester
“What follows is part superior treasure hunt and part drama, as the children scurry from one dark interior to another, solving puzzles and inching closer to defeating a terrible threat. It is creepy enough to be very exciting and occasionally hair-raising: we do encounter one of the most terrifying of the Doctor’s recent foes. A couple of small girls in our party buckled – testimony to the power of theatre to suggest. But they stayed with it, largely thanks to the supportive work of the actors, who lead the show while encouraging the children to take part.”
The Guardian
The Crash of the Elysium
“What follows is not for the faint of heart or short of breath, as a fair amount of running, crouching and sweating is involved. The immediate impression of the stricken alien spacecraft is that it is very dark and ferociously hot, particularly in a plastic boiler suit. And the scale of the threat becomes clear when a video message from the Doctor reveals that the ship is a “high security art gallery” from which some of the exhibits have escaped. Without giving too much away, blink and you’ll miss them.”
“…the realisation of the work is of such a standard as to dispel any doubts. The military chaperones take charge without seeming to be in control; and when you slip through the space-time continuum to a fairground in the 1880s, there is straw underfoot, a smell of manure in the air and a genuine frisson of anxiety about how you are going to get back again.”
Manchester Confidential
Crash Of The Elysium Reviewed: MIF 2011
“The lighting and the sound – especially the sound – plus the staging of the production is perfect for the children; a hyperactive fairground Haunted House featuring Doctor Who himself.”
“If you’ve got a kid aged six to twelve, get a ticket, maybe borrow someone else’s six to twelve year old. Punchdrunk have delivered another superb MIF event. It ticks all the boxes for what this festival should represent. Exciting. Clever. Effective. Memorable.”
For more information and tickets, click here.
