To attempt to explain or describe Maddie Flint and Nathalie Ellis-Einhorn’s multi-media ode to sci-fi and sexuality feels almost wrong. No piece of writing could convey the irreverent, referential, meme-laced madness that unfolds along this space voyage. Genders will be bent, you will have (soft) things thrown at you, you might see a *gasp* titty. If the mood takes them Flint could tell you more about the reproductive habits of eels than most scientists. That is to say, not much.
The production value reaches heights you don’t usually expect to see in such a small venue. The company’s video editing (featuring footage recorded by Adeeb Waren) and voice over (provided by Paul Hernaes Barnes) are particular highlights; juxtaposed against the homemade aesthetic of their props, which evoke the same charm as a classic episode of Doctor Who or Star Trek. However, multiple outfit changes, audio visual interaction, smoke machines, puppetry, and on stage transformations don’t go that smoothly without rigorous rehearsal, no matter what their rag-tag aesthetic might lead you to believe.
If you squint a bit, underneath all that irreverent, sexy, sci-fi fun the folks of Gash Theatre are trying to show you a bit of their soul. The plot pauses more than once for Flint and Ellis-Einhorn to shoot the shit, as pre-recorded puppets they have intensely personal (but still amusing) conversations about bisexuality, eating disorders, and men. But then it’s right back to the silly fun stuff, which really, is what we came for.
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