Written By: Scott Gunnion
Format: Play
Genre: Comedy
Date: October 18 2017
Location: Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool
I started off my usual cynical self. After all, dystopian has been done to death. I was expecting the-pseudo Hunger Games on stage. 1984 revisited. But I quickly learned to abandon my prejudices and came to love what was on offer.
Let there be no doubt: Golem is utterly bonkers. It is cracked. Truly nuts. 1927, the theatre company responsible for the production, has achieved something truly tremendous.
We start out in a dystopian age (the exact era is not specified) in which the protagonist Robert feigns limp rebellion by participating in the garage band Annie and The Underdogs, whose contribution to music merely amounts to noise and vacuous hand gestures.
Out of intrigue, he purchases a Golem from a fledgling wheeler-dealer, Golem being an animated clay playmate who obeys your every order. Or so it seems.
Golem starts out as a dutiful, docile being. Blindly compliant. Obedient to its owner. But it soon acquires a mind of its own and becomes the dominant partner in the relationship, dishing out orders and suggestions. Taking over every task and emasculating those around it by rendering their contribution to the community obsolete.
The set design is truly astonishing. The graphics are incredible; set design on ketamine. And the way the actors interact with the constantly evolving set is brilliant.
I would recommend Golem to anybody with an open mind. And at a tight 90 minutes, it manages to be short and concise, never outstaying its welcome.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10 – Excellent