The Mother Ship

Published Thursday 6 March 2008 at 14:55 by Richard Edmonds

A deeply disturbed teenager believes aliens are coming to claim him in their mother ship. He disappears from home and ends up at sea in a rowing boat chasing the said extra-terrestrials, to the great distress of his 18-year-old brother Eliot (an excellent performance from Jonathan Bailey, well-spoken and convincing in an uncertain night).

However, it all ends happily - Eliot heads for “uni”, as it’s called nowadays, and the boys’ stepmother has a new baby, which Gerry (who sees aliens) somehow connects to his space visions. Yet there are those of us who may well have left the confines of the Rep’s studio wondering about Maxwell’s characters, who occasionally have a superimposed sense of urgency - if in doubt, shout - which covers up a thin and frequently muddled plot. Its better moments generally are when the characters simply talk logically to each other.

The young performers seem to relish what Maxwell has given them in terms of dialogue - although I found it bitty and occasionally in need of literary super glue - and they are a pleasure to watch as they bring on a cut-out car, wail about Gerry’s concerns with other worlds, have sex in the front of the car or save Gerry from drowning.

Still, at the end of 100 endless minutes of this over-long tale, I could have wished that their undoubted talents had been used to greater effect in a play which would have tested them more.

I am all for new writing, but the over-used word ‘new’ in relation to scriptwriters, does not necessarily mean good.

Chloe Lamford designed the stage cloth and back set, covering them with star clusters.