When Prophecy Fails
★★★★★ Purposeful
Studio Theatre: Fri 14/Sat 15 Feb 2025
Review by Rebecca Mahar
Adapted from a 1954 American study into the social psychology and cognitive dissonance of a UFO religion called the Seekers, When Prophecy Fails is an exploration of the community and humanity behind what could easily be perceived as cult.
After four years of research and development, interdisciplinary and multi-media theatre company Groupwork presents the world premiere of this production at the Manipulate Festival.
Amy Kennedy in When Prophecy Fails by Groupwork. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic
Rather than a typical script, this piece relies on music, soundscape, voiceover, stylised movement, dance, and intense nonverbal connection to communicate its story. All these elements stitch together seamlessly. While it’s easy to see how this subject could have been translated to a traditional play, this version needs no more words than it uses.
The focal figure of the story is Marian Keech (Amy Kennedy), a woman who seems to be receiving communications from extraterrestrial voices (or “the astral” as the study describes), which she channels into automatic writing, the results of which are believed to be prophecy by Marian and her fellow believers. Two of these are the Armstrongs: Thomas (Samuel Pashby) and Daisy (Grace Gibson); who welcome Marian into their home and host gatherings of the believers, known as Seekers.
prophesied apocalypse
Unbeknownst to the Seekers, embedded within their group are several Observers. One is Leon Festinger (Dylan Reid), the eventual author of the study, another, unnamed, is played by Hope Kennedy. As the Seekers get closer to the day of their prophesied apocalypse, the Observers report their findings, using pseudonyms for the Seekers (Keech and Armstrong are analogues for some of the real people upon whom the study, and show, are based).
Samuel Pashby, Dylan Reid, Hope Kennedy, Grace Gibson and Amy Kennedy in When Prophecy Fails by Groupwork. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic
Co-directed by Finn den Hertog and choreographer Vicki Manderson, When Prophecy Fails is a tight, meticulously rehearsed ensemble piece that still manages to retain a frenetic urgency, capturing the Seekers’ track towards impending doom and salvation.
As a group, the ensemble are a well-oiled machine, a testament to the intensive development process that has resulted in their committed precision. In addition to their main named roles, they step out to embody additional voiceovers and other characters, including Reid as the astral ghost of Marian’s father.
sense of exploration
At certain points the movement is precisely choreographed, even rigid at times, whether it’s stylised or dance or somewhere in between; at other times it retains a sense of contact improv, perhaps giving insight into how some of it was developed. This sense of exploration translates particularly well in a sequence between Marian and her father.
L to R Amy Kennedy and Dylan Reid in When Prophecy Fails by Groupwork. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic
A standout moment of the show is a slow-motion segment of a social Seeker gathering in the Armstrong house that, while perfectly timed, would have entertained the audience for much longer.
In addition to its co-directors, Lewis den Hertog is a foundational creative contributor to the piece, having developed and designed the multifaceted interplay between text, music, sound, and video design. A true multimedia production, When Prophecy Fails would not succeed in the visceral way that it does without each of these elements contributing to the way it tells its story.
nothing fancy
Lighting design from Benny Goodman is another essential element to this production’s success. There’s nothing fancy about it, but Goodman’s choice of angle, colour and, in particular, the use of an extra-large soft flat rigged above the stage as a diffuser, give each scene its isolation, mood, and dreamlike qualities with exacting nuance: a perfect example of less is more design.
When Prophecy Fails by Groupwork. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic
Rather than sensationalising the story of the Seekers, When Prophecy Fails seeks to explore the connections between its members, and the coping mechanisms that follow when their Armageddon failed to arrive. Rather than committing mass suicide or violence to others when disappointed, the Seekers concluded that the love and light of their small group prevented the prophesied flood, and those who remained simply carried on with their lives and beliefs.
people need people
As director Finn den Hertog says: “would you rather be in the living room with them, or out there sneering and laughing at them?” The community represented by the Seekers, though ultimately brought together by an unfulfilled idea, is here shown as a group bound by the human need for purpose and connection. Manderson’s succinct summation of the show’s thesis, that “people need people” is especially poignant, coming to the stage as recently as it does after theatres, like so much else, were shut for lockdown.
People need people, whether we come together in search of a higher purpose from beyond the stars, or in the darkness of a theatre, to see an extraordinary telling of a peculiar story, plucked from obscurity to exist for its short, striking time upon the stage.
Running time: One hour and 15 minutes (no interval)
Festival Theatre Studio,
Thurs 14-Fri 15 February 2025
Evenings: 8pm
Run ended: Details.
Groupwork website www.groupworktheatre.com.
Groupwork Instagram: @groupwork_
Samuel Pashby, Grace Gibson, Hope Kennedy and Dylan Reid in When Prophecy Fails by Groupwork. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic
ENDS
