Considered as one of the first dystopian works of science fiction, The Machine Stops, written in 1909 by E. M. Forster offers a future where humanity has been forced to live underground, serviced by – and in service of – the Machine.
Vashti (Mary Helen Sassman), like the majority of the population, lives in isolation. Her daily existence appears inextricably linked to the Machine – never curious about what other modes of living might be possible. Her son, Kuno (Patrick Livesey), is curious however. What he discovers makes him desperate – first to convince his mother and then later to save her.
The design is, quite simply, immaculate. The set (Niklas Pajanti & Briony Dunn) is clean and elegant. Within the square performance space hangs a 4 x 4 grid of metal poles that don’t quite reach the stage floor. In one of the cells of that grid sits an armchair.
A sophisticated projection on the floor changes throughout the show, but predominately consists of squares changing size and focus. The cells, and Mary’s movements within them particularly, are brutal. Suggestions of circuitry as well as cattle yards all help strengthen the dehumanising aspects of what constitutes Vashti’s daily life.
Pajanti’s lighting design is prodigious, coming from above as well as all four sides top and bottom. Shadows you might expect to see are eliminated, while the ones that are left are symmetrical.
It works beautifully with the other elements – including a sound design by Darrin Verhagen that is lurid in some places, distorted and industrial in others – to create an unsettling atmosphere that persists throughout the show.
Mary Helen Sassman was terrific in the role of Vashti, giving a layered, controlled performance. The shift from houselights to the first lighting state was very gradual, followed by Mary moving into the space at an even more-to-the-point-of-being-imperceptible pace. Wielding stillness and precision so effectively made later scenes where that precision starts to falter after hearing Kuno’s testimony compelling to watch.
Patrick Livesey gave an excellent performance as Kuno, who is transformed by their experience outside of the will of the machine. Even the the act of Kuno describing their motivation and what they saw and how it made them feel requires putting words themselves in a certain order that feels seditious. Patrick conveyed Kuno’s sense of curiosity and discovery in lovely fashion.
The narrative itself is a bit on the shallow side, there’s no disparaging the presentation. Like Nigel Kneale’s Year of the Sex Olympics but without the complexity, The Machine Stops is a commendable production that like any good work of science fiction has one foot in the future and the other in the here and now.
The Machine Stops
Theatre Works, 14 Acland Street, St Kilda
Performance: Saturday 23 August 2025
Season continues to 30 August 2025
Information and Bookings: www.theatreworks.org.au
Images: Mary Helen Sassman and Patrick Livesey in The Machine Stops – photos by Hannah Jennings
Review: June Collins