The Thing That Came From Over There! (from now on referred to as the ‘The Thing….’ for brevity) is a roller-coaster of a show that deftly blends comedy, science-fiction and horror in one neat and very entertaining package. In many ways, this production from the acclaimed Until is a parody of the era of sci-fi horror that dominated cinema in the 1950s. While it is packed with hilarity – often in the form of repetitive (and highly effective) gags – it never pokes fun at the genre it draws heavily from. In fact, it comes across as something of a love letter to those landmark films that may look so dated at first glance but on closer inspection exude a timeless appeal due to their fine acting, storyline and suspense.
The Thing…. has clearly been heavily influenced by the seminal 1951 film The Thing From Another World which was directed by Christian Nyby and the inimitable Howard Hawks. The play, just like the film, tells the story of an blood-thirsty alien crash landing into an icy wilderness, with drastic consequences for the group of men stationed nearby. The show’s setting is an amateur, myth-busting ‘Open Your Brain’ conference featuring George Cranston (BA) and his two intrepid assistants as they attempt to right an historical wrong. Cranston tells us that his great grandfather, Captain Reginald Cranston Scottt (pronounced Scot-ta-ta) was not in actual fact the hapless leader of an Antarctic expedition as the history books tell us, but the saviour of mankind. Over the course of the evening, they transport us back to 1912, when the two explorers Scott and Amundsen begin their race to become the first to reach the South Pole. At the same time, Captain Reginald Cranston Scottt, has accidentally landed on the wrong side of the continent. His bid to enter the history books takes a further turn for the worse when his crew begin to be picked off one-by-one by the worm-like alien. What follows is a heady mix of surrealism, horror and hilarity.
Special praise has to be laid at the door of the sparse three-strong cast in this show. Mark Dawson –p the company’s founder and artistic director – along with Alys Torrance and Ben Whitehead together play the role of more than 15 characters and swap effortlessly between the different accents and personalities with great aplomb. When things do occasionally go astray, as is understandable, the actors riff off each and milk the mishap for further comedy value.
At the end of the 75 minute show, the audience at Blackwood Miners Institute gave the exhausted cast a hearty round of applause for a great night’s entertainment. It was applause that was well deserved for the skilful and committed execution of a terrific show. Catch it if you can.