Heart-warming and uplifting - high energy food for the soul!
Do you recall being 18, your dreams for when you left school? If you could go back in time, what would you tell your younger yourself? Time Capsule is a rich, thought-provoking, action-packed 90 minutes of excellent musical theatre, superbly written and directed by Megan Rundle. It is the story of 15 teens leaving school in 2012 and meeting up again 10 years later at their school reunion in 2022 and the dramas unleashed from opening their time capsule. With themes of jealousy, power, regret, and revenge, it explores common biases and stigmas from the point of view of those to whom they are directed. Using a compassionate lens, it is both funny and sad. Time Capsule vividly brings back those awkward teen and twenties years with all the self-doubts, questioning and identity issues.
At the centre of the story are ego and the question of how do we measure success? Why do we pretend to be what we aren’t and what harm do we knowingly and unknowingly cause one another? The show cleverly challenges stereotypes giving minorities a voice, subtly ridiculing ignorance and immature behaviour and celebrating diversity.
The choreography, singing, and original music is powerful, immersing you back to the drama, meanness, and heartache of teenage years.
The 15 cast members play the full range of characters you might meet in a school year. There is the ‘in-crowd’ and the ‘outsiders’, all impressively played by some very talented performers. There were some knock out solos from the lead roles of Natasha Kayser (Bridget), Harry Fenn (Riley), Amy Fortnum (Sherry) and Ciara Taylor (Ritz) taking us on the dramatic highs and lows of early adulthood. An additional five musicians are visible on stage, and it is remarkable how slick and well utilised it is throughout the performance. It flowed. The composer and musical director Jackson Griggs did an incredible job with witty lyrics and catchy songs.
Highly recommended. This show is suited to adults and older teens offering plenty of scope for discussion.