Review: WAR OF THE WORLDS (ON A BUDGET), Town and Gown Cambridge

Ever wanted to see War of the Worlds told by one person? This is now a possibility with Lamphouse Theatre presenting War of the Worlds on a Budget. 

Actor Tom Fox takes on a massive 25 characters as he attempts to retell the classic H.G. Wells tale with handmade props, humour and feminism. 

Fox often breaks the fourth wall with the audience and the way he interacts with members of the audience allows for additional humour but without running the risk of heckling. 

Fox has excellent comic timing and at 55 minutes long, it is no mean feat to complete a one-man show, keep the audience entertained and engaged yourself. Some characters are better than others but all are played excellently by Fox. He makes use of the space that the theatre has to offer, using various accents to distinguish between characters. 

The piece is clever and the handmade props add to the ‘on budget’ feel, using audience members to move space rockets, items that are multi-use and some interesting costumes. 

The piece did a good job at telling the story, however if you haven’t seen War of the Worlds then it isn’t always the easiest to follow. It feels like some of that could be made maybe more accessible but all of the jokes are funny and the audience at Town & Gown in Cambridge enjoyed the performance and participated where needed. 

There is an old adage in performing with the rule of three, whereby when making jokes you make it three times and move on and it felt that the women’s rights and women’s suffrage was beaten with a rather heavy stick throughout the piece. 

The songs in the piece are smart and Tim Minchin-esque Not all hit the mark but there are certainly some gems amongst those written. The one about the White Flag when Fox asks the audience to participate is particularly catchy and entertaining.

Fox is accompanied with a voiceover by Becky Owen-Fisher, which feels very fitting for 1890’s when the novel is set. 

The performance is a must see; it is quirky and funny. Fox has stumbled upon a model that could be used each year with a different show and could definitely build a cult audience from it. 

*** Three stars

Reviewed by: Emma Rooney

War of the Worlds (on a Budget) plays its final performance at the Town and Gown tonight (15 July) before moving on to the Edinburgh Fringe.