Review: Mary, Chris, Mars

After the experience of COVID-19 lockdowns, we all know a little more about isolation. The subject of Mary, Chris, Mars, then, is one that audiences will recognise, despite its outer-space setting. Two astronauts are stuck in their separate orbits, mired in loneliness as they gaze down at the distant beauty of Earth. Until, that is, a chance encounter brings them together on Mars on Christmas Day.

Trunk Theatre Project tell this narrative using a mash-up of charmingly DIY techniques, from puppetry to overhead projector, mixed in with physical theatre sequences. The bilingual show – part of the Korean showcase – moves back and forth between English and Korean, while Baek Hahyungki provides quirky live musical accompaniment.

There are some lovely individual moments. With the help of cleverly designed gloves, for example, the hands of the performers transform into the spacesuit-clad astronauts, using simple movements to convey the awkward companionship of these two lonely characters. In another such moment, a suitcase opens to reveal a twinkling, star-studded sky.

But these captivating images feel loosely strung together and stretched out over an hour, leaving sections in which the energy and momentum sags. The story itself is flimsy and could easily be told in half the time. And it’s unclear who this show – billed as family friendly – is really aimed at. Not quite silly enough for kids, and not quite substantial enough for adults, Mary, Chris, Mars falls awkwardly in the middle somewhere. Like its astronaut characters, the show feels stranded between two different worlds.