The original 1897 version of War of the Worlds is often seen as a critique of Victorian imperialism. H.G. Wells putting pen to paper in literary protest at the destructive power of European colonialism.
In early 2026, Imitating the Dog has reimagined his story of over-mighty Martians laying waste to Little Englander arrogance as a cautionary tale about the destructive power of divisive anti-immigrant sentiment. While it is set in 1968 and opens with images of Enoch Powell, there is no doubting the contemporary resonance of this production – its nod to stoked-up fears about a different kind of alien. Indeed, modern audiences who are waking up daily to headlines about death from the air in Iran or the takeover of AI could be forgiven for seeing more allegories than are entirely comfortable.
There is certainly a lot to think about here. One would expect nothing less from Imitating the Dog, who have a quarter-century’s track record in making innovative theatre that mixes live performance with film and projection. The downside with War of the Worlds is that the concept drowns out the storytelling, making it hard to care about the all-too-timely issues on which this production touches.
Photo by Ed Waring
The show opens with our central protagonist Will Travers (Gareth Cassidy) in hospital and losing consciousness, having been injured attending a Mosley rally in Trafalgar Square. When he comes to, the Martian onslaught is in full swing, and Travers must navigate the remnants of the England he knew while coming to terms with the destructive power of his own actions. Circling him throughout are three further cast members, who combine acting cameos as invasion survivors with stints deploying handheld cameras and props.
Live action, projections, miniature set models and filming are combined to create a visually impressive spectacle. But this process, this spectacle, puts too many barriers up for the story to become immersive. The viewer is left wondering where to look, unsure if they are watching a movie on a screen or the making of a film on the stage below it. In attempting to do both, they are left unable to do either properly.
War of the Worlds is interesting, original theatre, and infinitely preferable to a safer, blander retelling of an iconic book. Its problem is another of the contemporary world’s burning issues in that the screens get in the way of real human connection.
War of the Worlds is at the Playhouse, Liverpool until March 7, 2026 and on tour. For more information, click here.
