Rossum’s Universal Robots

Rossum’s Universal Robots
Written by Karel Capek. Directed by Lindsay Nash. Aussie Kelpie Arts. Star Theatres, Hilton, SA. 22-25 June, 2017.

The mystery of what makes us human is one that has never lost its relevance or pertinence; hopefully, it will continue to inspire artists of all varieties to keep searching for the answers through their work. R.U.R. was first staged in 1921, but its premise – based around existential questions relating to the nature of humanity, as well as the potential disasters that technology could unleash on us - still has the power to grip and intrigue after all this time.

It’s both refreshing and encouraging to see young theatre practitioners presenting texts that offer plenty of food-for-thought to their audience. Aussie Kelpie Arts’ production of R.U.R. succeeds on some levels, while falling short on others. The opening thirty minutes are the most satisfying, as the cast capably deliver a fairly dense proportion of technical and philosophical discussion/exposition, generating a great deal of interest by way of the connections that can be made between Czech playwright Karel Capek’s vision and so much subsequent speculative science-fiction, from Doctor Who to The Terminator.

Central characters Harry Domin and Helena Glory, as played by John Cooper and Asha Perry, are an engaging odd couple, and are generally matched by the supporting cast; in particular, Kyla Booth’s comical cleaning lady, twangier than a Texas guitar, is a welcome source of broad humour. The unusual mixture of personalities amongst the characters, as well as skilful timing/phrasing/intonation from the actors involved, combine to make even the talky sequences surprisingly absorbing to sit through.

The director (also making a well-spoken and confident appearance on stage) has paced the action swiftly so we are never left feeling bogged down, and it initially seems not to matter that so much of the text is telling us what happens, rather than dramatizing and showing us. Unfortunately, the recorded narration that plays during scene breaks is too rushed in its delivery, as well as rather awkwardly accented, which distracts from – and inhibits understanding of – what is being said.

The production team have taken a minimalist approach to presenting the events of this play, requiring that the audience use their imagination to fill in certain visual gaps for themselves. This works well enough for a while, but by the one-hour mark, it starts to pay diminishing returns. Somehow, as the play moves into its second act, the ideal level of dramatic involvement doesn’t build as it should, gradually losing its effectiveness instead.

The main character’s mannerisms cease to be intriguing or charming and start to feel like those of an overdone and insufferable caricature, while the sprawling nature of the story, as it progresses through the years, results in a feeling that this production is taking on a bit more than it can comfortably handle. The stark visual/sound design no longer feels adequate to convey the necessary atmosphere, and the performances generally don’t keep pace with the level of conviction and precision needed for an audience to believe that a robot revolution could really be happening outside the on-stage window.

Happily, a late-innings twist-in-the-tale perks up this production considerably, and sends us out of the theatre feeling positive about the accomplishments that this production has achieved. Aussie Kelpie Arts deserve applause for staging such an intelligent piece as R.U.R. – and for placing faith in an audience’s ability to appreciate ambitious, thoughtful work on an Adelaide stage.

Anthony Vawser

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