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A Review from 5D Music & Theatre writer, Maria Robertson.
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David Bowie’s song Starman is my main interest in space, although I do love anything with stars on and do occasional stare up into the sky. So going to see an astronaut was not really on my to do list, until my teenage nephew told me that one of the reasons for joining the Air Cadets was that he wants to be a astro physicist or spacey engineer or something super clever sounding. Suddenly the Tim Peake tour seemed more important and I was thrilled when our lovely contact at Aberdeen Performing Arts confirmed we could have tickets.
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Just as we parked the car Tim Peake tweeted a video from the back of the Music Hall but by the time we got there he had left. So we went for dinner (nephew paid!) before coming back for the show. On the way in we purchased a pre signed programme which was then pored over in great detail, whilst I hoped it didn’t contain too many “spoilers” for the show.
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This is the first time Tim has toured the UK, although many of us watched him (on tv at least) tour the skies above us in the International Space Station (ISS). It was 2015 when he became the first Brit to go to space, and we all watched in awe as he blasted off for his 6 months in space.
This tour takes you through how he was picked to have this amazing experience, the training necessary, what the actual experience was like – including a wee sales spiel for the current recruitment drive for the next trip!
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ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS
“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants” is the famous quote by renowned scientist Sir Isaac Newton. This is particularly apt as a title for this video summary of ESA astronaut Tim Peake’s Principia mission – named after Newton’s monumental work Philosophiae Naturalis Principia and now building on the work of previous European astronaut missions, while being supported by a huge team of scientists and engineers on the ground.
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The stage was clear with a big projector screen at the back so he could share his photos, video and TV clips as he talked us through everything. He tried to cover some of the questions he gets asked frequently like how they sleep in weightlessness, and how to use a space toilet. There were video clips of him making a bacon buttie and tea, it was all rather fascinating.
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When my nephew was asked how much of it he had read or seen before he did say quite a bit of it, but it was a different experience to hear it from “the horse’s mouth” so to speak. It really was quite a thrill to be in the same room as someone who has space walked, a household name across our wee island.
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I loved the footage from the go pro of what take of was like in the space rocket, and seeing planet Earth from space was amazing – especially the Aurora Borealis. Such a different perspective from the photos we usually see, totally reminded us how small and insignificant we are in the universe. I did struggle a little with some of it, I used suffer from flight phobia and seeing some of his flight experiences churned my stomach, but it was totally worth it.
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In short I would suggest that even the most earth bound person should try and catch this tour if it comes near them. It’s a truly memorising experience. Actually, that’s not short is it, not compared to a teenage boy’s review as we left the Music Hall: “5 stars, awesome.” I have to concur!
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Further information: Events – Tim Peake
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Maria Robertson is the Chief Music & Theatre Writer for the 5D Pop Culture Website and provides reviews & coverage of local Aberdeen music & theatre gigs. She’s an experienced writer for numerous sources and is a self-confessed live gig addict ever since seeing The Counting Crows at the Barrowlands in 1994.
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