Sherman Theatre’s latest production, directed by Hannah McPake, masterfully weaves local historical tragedy with modern-day satire. The play draws inspiration from the 1896 Fine Art, Industrial and Maritime Exhibition, focusing on the story of Louisa Maud Evans. Louisa, a 14-year-old girl from Bristol, was recruited to perform a parachute jump from a hot-air balloon. Tragically, she possessed minimal experience and lost her life in the Bristol Channel after unfavorable winds forced her off course.
The narrative links this 19th-century display of showmanship to the contemporary space race through the character of Carol Gaudron, a tech billionaire played by Elin Phillips. Carol is a descendant of the real-life balloonist Auguste Eugene Gaudron, who originally enlisted Louisa. The story opens on a reality television quiz show where Carol promotes a mission to Mars, declaring, “Let’s get humanity off this planet and into the stars,” a line that satirizes the hubris often found in modern technology leaders.
What follows is a time-traveling adventure featuring Carol, a young navigator portrayed by Mari Fflur, and a talking seagull brought to life by Oliver Wood. Through this trio, the production takes on the structure of a space-bound “A Christmas Carol,” where the characters traverse the past and future in a quest for redemption. The plot serves as a critique of modern phenomena, including reality media, artificial intelligence, and corporate climate apathy.
Hayley Grindle’s set design captures the imagination, oscillating between intricate small-scale puppetry and striking hot-air balloon imagery. While the dense plot occasionally moves at a rapid, sometimes disorienting pace, the production remains a dynamic exploration of environmental impact and the cost of human ambition.
McPake, who has previously developed several works for the Cardiff-based venue, delivers what is arguably one of her most accomplished projects to date. By connecting the Victorian era’s daredevil stunts with current tech-bro escapism, the play provides a vibrant, thoughtful, and highly entertaining look at the persistent human desire to conquer the skies.
