Review: Assigned Earth at Birth, part of TALOS festival at Bread and Roses Theatre 11 – 13 December 2025

‘It’s only the end of one world.’ ★ ½   

This interactive production about an alien anthropologist being sent to Earth to study its inhabitants has a strong title, without much else. Audiences are sitting in a theatre space watching a projection of a zoom call, that has the script running underneath as subtitles for the actor to read off, whilst they stand in front of a green screen that is only used for one location.  All I could think, was that this is the wrong medium for such a show.

This would fare better as a web series with pre-recorded story options, although the times when the audience is called upon to pick dialogue options do not affect the narrative at all. Furthermore the modus operandi of the piece seems very mean-spirited in exclaiming all the ills of the world without giving any insight into how to make sense of it all. Whilst it is commendable for anyone to put on their own original production, I’m afraid this is one that feels very low effort.

This show is part of TALOS Science fiction Theatre / Greek Theatre festival. More information of the festival can be viewed here https://www.cyborphic.com/talos-2025