The Time Machine: About

MINOR PROJECT
THE TIME MACHINE

Reimagining the classic HG Wells into a captivating puppet theatre piece.

As part of my final year in my studies in Design for Stage and Screen - Character Makeup Design, I was prompted with redesigning The Time Machine. The classic science fiction novel explores the possibilities of the future and its inhabitants. My approach to this text is an engaging theatre show which implements puppetry to portray the evolutionary result of mankind- The Morlocks and The Eloi. This text allowed me to explore historical research as well as anticipating technologies growing involvement in the arts. These advancements allowed me to explore my concepts and ideas through the implementation of digital sculpting and drawing programs.

The Time Machine: Text

Promotional Images

The Time Machine: Work

The Time Machine: Text

The Morlocks

800,000 years in the future, a Time Traveller comes across the result of the human race splitting in two. The Morlocks are a species which evolved from humans. The Time Traveller is disgusted by them, calling them ape-like. They live underground, only emerging at night to take the Eloi. It is presumed that the Morlocks eat the Eloi. They work ancient machinery underground and are fascinated by the Time Machine, because of this, they steal it. The Time Traveller uses light and fire to force them back as their eyes are very sensitive. It is also apparent that they harvest the food the Eloi eat, make their clothes and perform other duties. Their relationship with the Eloi seem similar to that of a farmer and livestock. The script hints that the Morlocks were forced underground due to radiation, which could be the cause for their monsterous appearance.

The Time Machine: Work

The Eloi

The Time Machine: Text

The Eloi are a species which evolved from humans 800,000 years into the future. The time traveller becomes close with one in particular, Weena. They are small, childlike and not very intelligent. They have evolved to also survive the rough terrance which is the surface of the earth. They live primarily off fruit. They are seemingly farmed and eaten by the Morlocks. They lack the intelligence or instinct however to do anything about this.

The Time Machine: Work

Additional Characters

The Time Machine: Text

Grunt: An Eloi/Morlock Mix

Grunt is a hybrid of the two species. He assists the Time Traveller and helps him navigate the future world. He is an outcast to both Morlock and Eloi as he reminds both of them of the other species. He is noted by the Time Traveller to be the most human out of all he has met in the future.

The Tapes

The Tapes are ancient machines made by the Eloi at the peak of their civilisation. They resemble 3 women. Their primary use serves as memory banks. They tell the Time Traveller what happened thousands of years ago and how the future came to be before malfunctioning and shutting down.

The Ancient One

The oldest living Eloi who resides in the Emerald Palace which once served as a place of learning and study. Although extremely intelligent at one point, he has extreme memory loss and is quite confused. He has been alone in the building for a long time.