Then Again – King’s Head Theatre, London

Creators: Tremolo Theatre

Directors: Helena Middleton and Jack Drewry

Reviewer: Stephen Bates

There was a time when a stereotypical inventor and time traveller would have been a grey-haired, dishevelled old crank, but no more. Here we find Millie, a geeky, bespectacled university science student who is, if not exactly Doctor Who, probably very much like her.

Tremolo Theatre’s 55-minute comedy show is made by and for the social media generation, which, although growing in numbers, does not include all of us and there is a sense that its humour might be better received on a campus than in a fringe theatre. Millie (Hanora Kamen) is a thoroughly modern young lady whose inventions include a noodle dryer, a talking toothbrush, a hover broom and a singing hair dryer. Intent on self-promotion, she and her friend Anna (Lily London), a struggling musician, launch an assault on YouTube.

When Millie invents a machine that allows her to travel backwards and forwards in time, which also has the side effect of cloning her several times over, things start to turn sour. “Milly Makes” becomes s fleeting internet hit, topping one million views, but her censorious tutor (Alice Ritchie) disapproves and she gets sent down.

If the comedy could have matched Millie’s inventiveness or, if the show could have found the wit to equal the charm and enthusiasm of its performers, this would have been a surefire winner. However, things have not quite fallen into place yet. Of course, it is all completely bonkers (and there is nothing wrong with that) but the script needs a lot more bite to turn it into an effective satire of modern lifestyles.

The familiar message that real friends are better than virtual ones comes through fleetingly, but, otherwise, there seems to be no serious purpose underlying the humour. Ultimately, this cheerful, inoffensive show is not really funny enough to make a big impact, but, then again, looked at as a work in progress, it could have a future.

Runs until 12 March 2018 | Image: Contributed