# SFF on stage



## Harpo (Dec 9, 2017)

We all know and love the books and the films and the comics and the TV shows and the games, but what about the on-stage performaces of science fiction and fantasy?

Offhand I can only think of a couple of examples
War of the worlds stage show
An Ultra-Rare Look at The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Stage Show from 1980

There surely must be many more


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## The Judge (Dec 9, 2017)

A good many of the Discworld novels have been staged, I believe.  I've not seen any, nor heard of any professional productions in the various theatres around us, but an amateur company in Eastleigh, near Southampton, is putting on _Wyrd Sisters_ in April which I might have a look at.


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## Harpo (Dec 9, 2017)

Ah yes of course! Thanks TJ!

Staging a Pratchett Play


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## Ursa major (Dec 9, 2017)

I saw a very entertaining version** of _The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy_, complete with an impressive ravenous Bug Blatter Beast***, presented by Theatr Clywd, which was touring with the play.

According to the company's Wikipedia page -- 





> Theatr Clwyd was famous for, among many other things, hosting the successful second stage performance of _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_.


 -- so this wasn't the show mentioned in the link above.



** - Yes, it was at Poole, in November 1981.

*** - The special effects used to portray its ravenousness were: the beast itself was a giant, inflatable octupus (or something very like one); it was inflated on the stage; this was done  under strobe lights, which made the random movements of the inflating arms look very menacing.


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## Toby Frost (Dec 9, 2017)

Well, funny you mention this... This year, an Australian theatre group, the Gemco Players, did an adaptation of _Space Captain Smith_. I didn't write the script, but I did look over it and I thought it was a very good adaptation (I'd written a radio script of SCS in the past, but separately). Sadly I didn't get to see it, but I've seen photos and it looked very good. I was surprised how ingenious the staging and effects were.

Anyhow, it won an award at the Victorian Drama League (Victorian as in Victoria the place, I think, rather than Victorian the setting) for "the exploding eyes" (I have no idea what this entailed) and a nomination for best supporting actor in a comedy. Strange, but true!


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## Lex E. Darion (Dec 9, 2017)

'We will Rock you' could be classed as Science Fiction - or spec fic I suppose. Surely THE stage musical that is SFF is the fantastic Rocky Horror!! ... or were you after more 'up-market' type renditions?

Would Cats come under fantasy? I've not seen it but talking/singing cats seem quite fantastical to me. 

Wicked is fantasy too.


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## Jo Zebedee (Dec 9, 2017)

Rocky Horror Picture Show 

(Impression of my mum, watching it for the tenth time, this time with us 

'They're aliens? Since when?')


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## Montero (Dec 9, 2017)

Return to the Forbidden Planet?
Return to the Forbidden Planet - Wikipedia

aka Shakespeare Rock and Roll masterpiece.

Also
Little Shop of Horrors.


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## AlexH (Dec 24, 2017)

I saw Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic. It was very good. Death was the only character to speak with a microphone.

I saw a sci-fi play too, with the guy who's the dentist on My Family. I'm telling you that because I can't remember what the play was called.


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## The Big Peat (Dec 27, 2017)

I've seen Mort done by an amateur company and Guards Guards done by a professional one; I preferred the former.


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## Dave (Dec 27, 2017)

This subject has come up several times before. SFF in the theatre

Unfortunately, the link I gave in that thread, to the even earlier thread, no longer works.


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## Harpo (Dec 27, 2017)

Threads can be found in other ways


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## Dave (Dec 27, 2017)

SF Theater I've also edited the link.


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## Harpo (Dec 27, 2017)

SF Theater

Oh you beat me to it


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## Narkalui (Jan 11, 2018)

I once saw Colin Baker as The Doctor on stage at The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. It was a couple of years after Michael Grade canned Sylvester McCoy and it was great


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## crystal haven (Jan 11, 2018)

Ursa major said:


> I saw a very entertaining version** of _The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy_, complete with an impressive ravenous Bug Blatter Beast***, presented by Theatr Clywd, which was touring with the play.
> 
> According to the company's Wikipedia page --  -- so this wasn't the show mentioned in the link above.
> 
> ...



I loved the stage production. A few memories brought back after reading this.


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## Dave (Jan 11, 2018)

Are supernatural plays included in SFF?

I think I mentioned J. B. Priestley's _An Inspector Calls_ but I'm also now reminded of Conor McPherson's _The Weir _and Noel Coward's _Blithe Spirit. _I've seen those three at the theatre, and so I expected there was more. A quick Google brings Arnold Ridley's _The Ghost Train_, Steve Yockey's _Afterlife_ and Henrik Ibsen's _Ghosts_. I expect there are many more too.


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## Narkalui (Jan 11, 2018)

The Woman In Black is another


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