The Teletubbies generation, it seems, has grown up and brought their earliest influences to Planet Rewind: BATS’ first show for 2016 (presented by YoYo). Not that the performing duo – Jane Paul and Kris Halliday – frolic in a pristine landscape. But the way they interact, the nature of their ‘language’ and the cute boopsie-bop soundtrack is distinctly Teletubbies.

Rubbish is the word that springs to mind on seeing the stage area in the Dome space. Crumples white plastic mostly with some black rubbish bags, clear cellophane, silver tinsel … And sitting centre stage, motionless, a doll-like figure – described in publicity, but not the programme, as “a junky robo” (Jane Paul). She wears a white bodysuit festively adorned with tinsel, coloured straws and fairy lights. (She and Kris Halliday are the costume designers.)

For some reason – I’m not sure why – The Little Prince springs to mind when white-clad figures with star-shaped headdresses arise from the rubbish and take their places to start the show proper: Matt Loveranes (lighting designer and operator), James Ruscoe (co-director, co-lighting designer, co-OHP operator) and Laura Gaudin (co-director, composer, co-OHP operator). Actually their look is more Lisa Simpson meets the Statue of Liberty but I think I’m missing a more obvious reference.

The show, including projections and set design, is devised by the company and I’m afraid it is one that adds up to less than the sum of its parts.  The premise is in the title: we are to see a tale told backwards. And if you haven’t seen and recalled the publicity, that’s all the clue you get – although a cassette and the rewind icon are prominent in the OHP visuals.

The cassette looks more audio than video and I don’t think it’s a spoiler to mention that at the end it’s inserted into what looks like a camera – a stills one if we are thinking old-fashioned or a modern digital one (that of course would take a memory stick rather than a cassette).

As the second performer arises from the rubbish – Kris Halliday, white-skinned and robed with a floret-topped hood and elephant feet, described in publicity as “an immortal” (a reference to Hindu mythology perhaps?) – the cassette breaks up. Again, post-show, I have to consult the publicity to deduce a meaning (although this should not be necessary; all should be revealed within the performance). 

“Traverse un-exploding volcanoes, endure fierce bubble blizzards, and feel the crunch of the big bang as we follow our heroes, a junky robo and an immortal who lives [sic] in reverse, back through time.

“Experiencing the world from different directions, they must find a way to work together to reassemble a magic cassette tape that may un-reverse the reversed universe! Behold these wonders through the hi-tech power of a schoolhouse OHP!”

“Hurtle back through time in… PLANET REWIND!”

I cannot discern this as the ‘story’ during the show and there is certainly no “hurtling”. I do keep trying to lock into the ‘in reverse’ idea to make sense of the unfolding action but – for example – it is impossible to blow bubbles in reverse, and when photos are taken with the camera the ‘Flash!’ image comes after the click. Inserting a square of paper (denoting a memory stick or polaroid picture?) before the picture is could denote taking it out in reverse, and I can see how the photo folder images, the putting in and taking out of the photo, were trying to be ‘in reverse’ action …

This, then, is what’s in it for the audience: trying to make sense of action that jumbles time forward and backward. Having to do so detracts from enjoying the sweet, naïve, childlike relationship between the ‘junky robo’ and the ‘imortal’, such as it is. But being an evening show for adults, I assume the intellectual exercise, albeit garnished with almost subliminal references back to childhood, is the point of it all.

If the OHP images were managed impeccably so that, for example, the pouring of liquid from cup back to jug, or the un-erupting volcano, were to create disruptive illusions we readily believed, something ‘magical’ might have be salvaged.

Maybe the sense of clumsiness arises from attempts to depict reverse action amid much forward action – and we will always, by default, read it as ‘forward’ unless very clearly prompted to see it otherwise. As it plays out, however, Planet Rewind is a frustrating and ultimately futile exercise. 

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