This legendary story about aliens invading Earth has been a massive success in almost any format, as a novel, a hysteria inducing radio play, two films and arguably most famous of all Jeff Wayne’s musical concept album. This album has now been adapted into a one man play by thespian Pip Utton to mixed effect.
Its seems a brutal challenge to take a plot full of spectacle and battles and strip it down to the barest of minimum. But Utton with only the aid of a red lamp and the thirty year old progressive rock music manages to draw the audience in.
Full marks for ambition but there are a number of flaws that stop this from amazing the crowd. He is of course a highly commended actor and he portrays each personality well, flipping between characters with ease but never managing to dazzle. Instead, each character is delivered in such a similar way that they merge into one forgettable bundle.
This could be forgiven if it wasn’t for the horrible, endless musical numbers, a respected actor he may be but Utton is no singer. His voice is, to be kind, average but it simply doesn’t have the strength to fill the intimate venue, something that is unforgiveable when you have based your performance on a musical.
This is a strangely unemotional production, a brave idea but one that never manages to pay off. Save yourself for next year when Jeff Waynes’ War of the Worlds will be appearing at the Fringe.
2/5 
Martin Miller
