A whimsical journey into the creation-filled lab of a humorously wacky inventor whose driving force is to save an array of human memories and stories from extinction
Presented by: DreamBIG Children’s Festival and Adelaide Festival Centre
Reviewed: 10 May, 2025
A whimsical journey into the creation-filled lab of a wacky inventor whose driving force is to save an array of human memories and stories from extinction, but this is threatened by both growing consumerism and continuously updating technologies. Will the inventor, alongside a helpful outdated AI and a whalebone, be able to save what makes us human?
As the lights arise, the inventor (Jens Altheimer) hurriedly strides in, with his comedic exaggerated body language, European accent and humorously stubborn personality delighting both adult and children audience members alike.
The inventor’s passion is to scan items that are sent to him to extract from them the numerous stories and memories that they may hold, such as a vintage bathing cap which has experienced swimming with fish, friends and fun times, or a toy that was played with once and then discarded. The inventor highlights the importance of items through their associated incredible stories, such as a historic whalebone (hence the show’s title) and if he deems the stories of sound quality he then downloads them onto a server to keep them secure (visually displayed as large swirling patterns on a screen at the back of the stage).
But when an outdated AI robot is delivered to the inventor’s lab, it questions why these memories and stories are so important, allowing the inventor to explain and even demonstrate why the stories that make us human are so important. Alongside this, though, the AI brings news of potential destruction of the inventor’s lifelong work of story preservation due to newer AI technologies (here some technical terminology such as algorithms and software bugs may be a bit much for a younger audience).
The highlight of the show, alongside Jens’ amusing performance, has to be the many different wacky makeshift inventions that fill the lab, such as a water-spraying telephone, flying smoke rings that capture memories, impressive holograms, and a juggling machine made of hairdryers. To the little audience members’ delight, the inventor also breaks the fourth wall on multiple occasions, either with cheeky banter or drawing them up on-stage to play with some of his inventions.
As with a children’s production, the meanings are not hard to pick apart for younger audiences – that we should care for the past and place significance on our memories and the stories told by previous generations. Alongside this is a warning of a society moving further towards cheap and easily disposable Items which hold no memories from their brief involvement in our lives – a simple explanation for younger minds of our society’s growing consumerism.
It’s not easy to hold the attention of an audience of children for an hour, but Jens does this successfully without the need for lots of bright colours or flashing lights. Jens’ more subtle style of traditional storytelling – mixed in with some magical inventions and his fun clownish personality – holds the audience spellbound.
Reviewed by Georgina Smerd
Venue: Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre
Season: ended
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