The Machine Stops at Theatre Works
From the team that brought you The Human Voice and Moth comes the radical 1909 dystopian epic that predicted the internet, The Machine Stops. Serving audiences a Black Mirror meets Beckett experience, this enthralling adaptation by Briony Dunn takes the dominance of the "internet age" and turns it on its head, in a challenging exploration of what could lie ahead of us.
A chilling tale of a futuristic information-orientated society, The Machine Stops takes us into a world where all of humanity has retreated to live in the subterranean. Connected by a global instant-messaging system and fearful of first-hand experience, technology has become the ultimate controlling force.
Starring lauded actors Mary Helen Sassman and Patrick Livesey, this masterful new adaptation of the novella by E.M. Forster (A Room with a View, Howards End, A Passage to India) is a rhapsody of sound and light brought to life by two virtuosic performers.
"E.M. Forster essentially predicted the internet, Ted Talks, instant messaging, and video calls - and he was warning us against them", explains director Briony Dunn.
"There's a great ease and comfort with which most of us are taking up technology and weaving it into our daily routines, especially handheld devices or online experiences. Anyone concerned about the hours of screen-time they're clocking? So was Forster.
We're crafting a work here that will change how audiences experience time. Making them reflect on their own lives while asking them to consider the people sitting next to them and sharing the future with them. What sort of future are we making? Do you want that future? Like all good sci-fi, The Machine Stops showcases a future that you hope never eventuates but could become ours if we don't pay attention."
This premiere season also brings together, for the fourth time, the powerhouse trifecta of Green Room Award Winners Lighting Designer Niklas Pajanti, Sound Designer Darrin Verhagen and Director Briony Dunn. Working together for many years, this incredibly successful artistic collaboration is founded on mutual respect and an agreement to drive each other's creative limits, resulting in theatre that is intense, precise, and exhilarating for audiences.
Running for seven performances only at Theatre Works on Acland Street, The Machine Stops is led by in-house and alumni artists and is proudly playing as a part of the 2025 By Theatre Works programming.
A powerful adaptation blending futuristic storytelling with existential themes, don't miss the opportunity to experience a rare deep dive into science fiction live on stage. Tickets now on sale.
Theatre Works is a vibrant hub for creative expression, fostering the development and presentation of innovative and daring performances. Committed to supporting the next generation of artists and engaging audiences with powerful storytelling, the organisation is a vital part of Australia's cultural landscape. The Machine Stops is playing as a part of the By Theatre Works programming stream. Other By Theatre Works productions in 2025 include Three Sisters, The Beep Test, Storked, Love and Information, and Soldier Boy.
Praise for Briony Dunn:
★★★★ ½ "Director Briony Dunn is to be congratulated for a truly astonishing production of a play of this calibre." - ArtsHub (Moth)
★★★★ "Director Briony Dunn makes creative choices that are sensitive and direct" - ATYP (Moth)
"Dunn carefully and meticulously crafts each moment of the work, intimately knowing exactly what is needed to elevate the writing and further immerse the performers and audience into the world." - Australian Arts Review (Moth)
"Briony Dunn supports an ambitious story through masterful direction" - My Melbourne Arts (Moth)
Adapted from the novella by E.M. Forster
Directed by Briony Dunn
Performed by Mary Helen Sassman and Patrick Livesey
Lighting Design by Niklas Pajanti
Sound Design by Darrin Verhagen
Set Design by Betty Auh, Niklas Pajanti and Briony Dunn
Costume Design by Betty Auhl
Produced by Dianne Toulson
22 - 30 August 2025
Tues to Sat 7:30pm
Preview: Fri 22 August 7:30pm
Opening Night: Sat 23 August 7:30pm
Tickets: $55 Full, $48 Concession, $40 Preview and $25 Mob Tix (+bf)
Venue: Theatre Works – 14 Acland Street, St Kilda
www.theatreworks.org.au
Duration: 1 hour 20 mins no interval
Suitable for ages: 15+
Warnings: Loud noises, flashing lights, existential themes relevant to post-apocalyptic worlds, euthanasia.
Accessibility: Theatre Works is a wheelchair accessible venue. A full access guide will be available closer to the date.
A chilling tale of a futuristic information-orientated society, The Machine Stops takes us into a world where all of humanity has retreated to live in the subterranean. Connected by a global instant-messaging system and fearful of first-hand experience, technology has become the ultimate controlling force.
Starring lauded actors Mary Helen Sassman and Patrick Livesey, this masterful new adaptation of the novella by E.M. Forster (A Room with a View, Howards End, A Passage to India) is a rhapsody of sound and light brought to life by two virtuosic performers.
"E.M. Forster essentially predicted the internet, Ted Talks, instant messaging, and video calls - and he was warning us against them", explains director Briony Dunn.
"There's a great ease and comfort with which most of us are taking up technology and weaving it into our daily routines, especially handheld devices or online experiences. Anyone concerned about the hours of screen-time they're clocking? So was Forster.
We're crafting a work here that will change how audiences experience time. Making them reflect on their own lives while asking them to consider the people sitting next to them and sharing the future with them. What sort of future are we making? Do you want that future? Like all good sci-fi, The Machine Stops showcases a future that you hope never eventuates but could become ours if we don't pay attention."
This premiere season also brings together, for the fourth time, the powerhouse trifecta of Green Room Award Winners Lighting Designer Niklas Pajanti, Sound Designer Darrin Verhagen and Director Briony Dunn. Working together for many years, this incredibly successful artistic collaboration is founded on mutual respect and an agreement to drive each other's creative limits, resulting in theatre that is intense, precise, and exhilarating for audiences.
Running for seven performances only at Theatre Works on Acland Street, The Machine Stops is led by in-house and alumni artists and is proudly playing as a part of the 2025 By Theatre Works programming.
A powerful adaptation blending futuristic storytelling with existential themes, don't miss the opportunity to experience a rare deep dive into science fiction live on stage. Tickets now on sale.
Theatre Works is a vibrant hub for creative expression, fostering the development and presentation of innovative and daring performances. Committed to supporting the next generation of artists and engaging audiences with powerful storytelling, the organisation is a vital part of Australia's cultural landscape. The Machine Stops is playing as a part of the By Theatre Works programming stream. Other By Theatre Works productions in 2025 include Three Sisters, The Beep Test, Storked, Love and Information, and Soldier Boy.
Praise for Briony Dunn:
★★★★ ½ "Director Briony Dunn is to be congratulated for a truly astonishing production of a play of this calibre." - ArtsHub (Moth)
★★★★ "Director Briony Dunn makes creative choices that are sensitive and direct" - ATYP (Moth)
"Dunn carefully and meticulously crafts each moment of the work, intimately knowing exactly what is needed to elevate the writing and further immerse the performers and audience into the world." - Australian Arts Review (Moth)
"Briony Dunn supports an ambitious story through masterful direction" - My Melbourne Arts (Moth)
Adapted from the novella by E.M. Forster
Directed by Briony Dunn
Performed by Mary Helen Sassman and Patrick Livesey
Lighting Design by Niklas Pajanti
Sound Design by Darrin Verhagen
Set Design by Betty Auh, Niklas Pajanti and Briony Dunn
Costume Design by Betty Auhl
Produced by Dianne Toulson
22 - 30 August 2025
Tues to Sat 7:30pm
Preview: Fri 22 August 7:30pm
Opening Night: Sat 23 August 7:30pm
Tickets: $55 Full, $48 Concession, $40 Preview and $25 Mob Tix (+bf)
Venue: Theatre Works – 14 Acland Street, St Kilda
www.theatreworks.org.au
Duration: 1 hour 20 mins no interval
Suitable for ages: 15+
Warnings: Loud noises, flashing lights, existential themes relevant to post-apocalyptic worlds, euthanasia.
Accessibility: Theatre Works is a wheelchair accessible venue. A full access guide will be available closer to the date.
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