Set in the year 2160, The Void is a science-fiction horror thriller that transports its audience into a decaying future where governments have vanished and powerful corporations rule over humanity.
The premise, in simple terms, goes something like this. Earth has been destroyed and Flint (Alex Moran), a haunted, one-eyed space ranger with a partially erased memory, is on patrol near Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. Picking up a mysterious distress signal, he docks his ship with the Odyssey, an ageing research vessel drifting in deep space. Once aboard, Flint discovers a ship in failing condition and a crew that has apparently vanished. His only guide is NOVA, the ship’s omnipresent artificial intelligence (voiced by Olwen May).
Flint eventually encounters a mysterious doctor named Blair (Ryan Simons), seemingly the sole remaining human aboard the vessel. Before long, they discover that a deadly presence, one that feeds on fear, is loose on the ship, forcing Flint to confront dark memories from his own past. His growing sense of déjà vu proves crucial to the story’s eventual resolution. To say any more would risk spoiling the surprises.
The ambition behind The Void is to create a hybrid theatrical experience, allowing audiences to feel as though they are watching a live horror movie without ever leaving the theatre. The production draws heavily on some of science-fiction cinema’s most familiar themes and influences: the terrifying isolation of deep space in Alien, the omnipresent and independently minded artificial intelligence of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the corporate control explored in Other Life, and the ethical questions surrounding technology that run through Black Mirror.
Visually, the production attempts to push beyond traditional theatrical boundaries, blending live action with large-scale illusions, prosthetics and pre-recorded video sequences, featuring Riana Duce, to create something approaching the scale and spectacle of cinema.
The set is impressive. A large portal, framed by jagged beams, dominates the centre of the stage, while a doorway to the right, surrounded by assorted equipment and industrial fittings, gives the spaceship a suitably functional, lived-in appearance.
An ominous soundtrack, sudden bursts of sound, the effective use of darkness and dramatic lighting changes help establish the atmosphere.
The combination of atmospheric lighting, drifting smoke and the claustrophobic surroundings creates a palpable sense of unease, ensuring that the audience is never quite sure what might be lurking around the next corner.
There are some effective jump scares along the way, together with a particularly clever disappearing trick and an illusion that genuinely makes it appear as though a man is floating weightlessly in space.
Ultimately, The Void is an ambitious and impressively realised piece of theatre that succeeds on two levels. Its inventive staging, clever illusions and imaginative use of technology are impressive enough, but what really matters is that it works as a genuinely frightening and suspenseful experience. The tension builds, the jump scares are effective and the sense of isolation and impending danger is maintained throughout. Science-fiction horror is a genre more readily associated with the cinema, but Ryan Simons and his team demonstrate that, with imagination and ingenuity, the theatre can be every bit as unsettling. Indeed, there’s something particularly unnerving about watching the horror unfold right in front of you, knowing that there’s no camera trickery or clever editing to hide behind.
The Void continues to tour across the UK and details may be found in the following link,
https://www.thunderroadtheatre.org/tickets
Reviewer: Adrian Cork
On: 13/10/2026
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