Sci-fi can be a difficult genre to conquer in theatre — you don’t have the luxury of post-production elements like CGI —but Second Coming by Kathryn Marquet, presented by La Boite Theatre and Playlab Theatre, triumphantly stages this darkly comic, futuristic space chronicle.
Set in 2065, Second Coming asks, if humanity gets a second chance on Mars, will we build a better future, or simply repeat the mistakes we’ve made on Earth? Leading the cast is Ashlee Lollback as Geneticist Evie. I’ve seen Ashlee perform in multiple productions and what I’m always first impressed by is her vocal clarity. Her voice is strong, articulate and grounded, even in emotionally heightened moments. Her character Evie takes her job very seriously, which allows her delightful opportunities to earnestly play the comedic “straight man”.
Merlynn Tong’s Zara is impossible to ignore. Her physicality is bold, her characterisation magnetic and expressions priceless. Zara follows an unexpected narrative arc which Merlynn commits to fearlessly. The unassuming Alan, played by Anthony Standish provides much of the play’s levity and heart. Accompanying his partner Evie on this mission, Alan is desperate for her to spend less time in the lab and more time with him. Anthony creates a character that is genuine, likeable, flawed and multi-faceted, allowing the audience to easily identify parts of themself within him. Gideon Mzembe’s Noah is charismatic and unexpected. Backed by a strong social media following, Noah is a celebrity chef/horticulturalist/fitness fanatic with a surprising affinity for Jane Austen. Gideon plays the role with buoyancy, charm and an assured confidence that the audience will laugh both with and at him.
Playwright Kathryn Marquet’s imagination knows no bounds. I found myself repeatedly thinking, “HOW did she even think of this?” The play centres around themes of environmentalism, humanity, greed, corporate power and technology. You’d expect with such weighted concepts, a dramatic story is inevitable. And while the play dives deeper into drama as the narrative unfolds, Kathryn’s early introduced comedy means the audience quickly comes to care about this ensemble of characters and is invested in their story as the stakes heighten. Ironically, as the story becomes more desperate and dire, the show’s climax provides perhaps the biggest laugh of the entire play. On a personal note, I really enjoyed that the two female characters seemed to have the most developed character arcs.
The digital cast including Darren Gilshenan, Helen Howard and Dr. Elise Grieg really elevate the futuristic world and understanding that Earth is in crisis. Elise’s voiceover work as Aida, the AI controller of the spaceship, is spot on. You’d be forgiven for thinking the production team actually used AI to record her lines; her intonation, diction and pitch are faultless. In collaboration with Ian Lawson’s direction, Bill Haycock’s futuristic set, Geoff Squires’ clever lighting, Will Hughes’ sound design and Nevin Howell’s AV, Second Coming is boldly staged and innovatively poses questions about humanity that encourage us to invest in our planet before it’s too late.
WHAT: Second Coming
WHEN: 6-22 August 2026
WHERE: La Boite Roundhouse Theatre, 6 Musk Avenue Kelvin Grove
TICKETS: You can buy tickets to Second Coming here.
