The Block Universe (Or So It Goes)

The Block Universe (Or So It Goes) is a play about time. This is not the dark wormhole time travel of Donnie Darko or the exploits of the era-hopping Doctor Who, but rather philosophy major dropout Andrew's (Jacob Warner) belief in the block universe theory: every moment, good and bad, is happening, has happened, and continues to happen forever and ever without end. The only thing that changes is our ability to perceive a given moment we cheerfully term the "present", trapped as our simple ape brains are in just three dimensions.

The Block Universe looks in on moments in the relationship between Andrew and Kristiina (Briallen Clarke), a pregnant Estonian woman dragged to Australia by a faceless fiance. With her relationship broken, Kristiina meets Andrew while he's working part-time in the uni library, trying to wrap his head around block universe theory, and they hit it off.

As might be expected from the title concept, the narrative is delivered in disconnected chunks, some repeated, that nonetheless work to form an emotionally captivating narrative. The first chapter is tepid, crammed with Andrew's quasi-philosophical posturing and an unconvincing closeness, but it quickly blossoms with Jacob Warner's affable nature and Briallen Clarke's strange sense of humour. The Block Universe has a beautiful set, with dozens of wooden cubbyholes lined whimsically with paraphernalia from all stages of life. If you stick with it, The Block Universe rewards with a well written script and thought-provoking concepts.