Humans Inc @ C

The futuristic Humans Inc clearly borrows more than just a couple of ideas from Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, although it reverses the positions a little. It is the humans who are looking to upgrade themselves, to become more like the machines around them, to gain an otherwise unattainable longevity and youth. The 'pure humans' have almost completely ceased to exist.

The way that the Alchemist Theatre company has worked to create the futuristic feel is impressive, and the use of movement sequences and lights to create the flying cars and spaceships used by the characters to get around is effective. As much as can probably be expected, you believe what is put before you as a viable future world. What does unfortunately create a little too much disbelief is the plot itself.

Science fiction isn't meant to be realistic and anyone who's spent any time at all in writing or literature classes will have heard it said that you can do absolutely anything as long as you observe the rules of your own universe. That isn't what Humans Inc is lacking, there are no missteps in their creation of this future. In fact, the problem may be that the plot does not stand up to the world that they have created. It could stand a more engaging or better written story. The characters do not have enough depth to them although they are all well portrayed – with a particularly stand out performance of psychic ability.

Humans Inc is a well-meaning, fun hour of escapism but it has the potential to be so much more.