How are they going to do the Martians? That was my first thought when I heard they were doing War Of The Worlds on stage. Would it be giant tripods on strings? People in costumes? Or would they maybe use a projector?
This is a question which directors Andrew Quick, Simon Wainright and Pete Brooks of production company Imitating The Dog have clearly spent hundreds of hours answering.
By mixing live performance with film they create a truly immersive and terrifying world. This allows for burning cities and looming war machines. The sense of scale is immense with several screens around the actors allowing them to walk, or often run through the decimated landscape.
The cast themselves operate the cameras creating the film in real time. Differing angles between the stage and the screens create a sense of unease which befits the chaos and tension of a world at its end. Twinned with some towering sound design by Andrew Crofts and James Hamilton this brings about a sense of dread which grows steadily throughout.
Imitating The Dog have form with bringing big scale and powerful atmospheres to a small stage having previously produced adaptations of Night Of The Living Dead, Dracula and Macbeth.
I have read, seen or listened to pretty much every version of War Of The Worlds; the Orson Welles radio-play, the Jeff Wayne album, the films, the BBC adaptation; this is none of them.
Of all the versions of the story that I have seen this one is by far the darkest, most tense and thought provoking of the lot. Including that Tom Cruise one!
Here they have created a unique version of the story while retaining many of the beats of HG Wells original novel. Set in 1968 with occasional flashes of Enoch Powell’s infamous rivers of blood speech the play manages to reflect contemporary issues whilst allowing some critical and historical distance.
The cinematic framing really helps us to explore the mindset of the protagonist, Will Travers, as he not only has to deal with Martians and the devastation they unleash but also the realisation that he and his beliefs have conjured up the world which is disintegrating around him.
Impressively they manage to create this whole world with a cast of just four led by Gareth Cassidy who plays Travers. He does an excellent job of portraying the characters fear, paranoia and confusion giving us a glimpse of each shard of his shattered mind.
Bonnie Badoo is a recurring character who in places is utterly terrifying. Her wide eyed performance puts real menace in Travers and the audience alike. Her sinister character is a million miles from the cheery young actress we saw in the Q&A afterwards!
Amy Dunn who plays Travers’ wife gives a convincing portrayal of her characters struggle to reconcile her loyalty to him with her shame and disgust at what he has done.
Morgan Bailey who plays a few parts delivers everything from subdued calm to manic intensity. This play is the perfect forum for him to exhibit his versatility and he does so with relish.
I recommend that once you’ve finished reading this article you should get on to the Leeds Playhouse ticket office and get your seats booked before they sell out! No one would have believed that in the early years of the 21st century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by such a talented group.
War Of The Worlds is at Leeds Playhouse until Saturday 28 March 2026. Full details and tickets here.
This post was written by reader Phil Rochester in return for two free tickets, as part of South Leeds Goes To The Playhouse.
Photo: Ed Waring
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