Reductio Ad Absurdum Productions

An organization set up by Phil Raines, Jackie McRobert and Ian Sorensen to produce fannish musicals and fannish plays. Once such, Lucas Back in Anger (2005) got a nomination for the 2005 Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form Hugo.

• 1995 -- Dune
• 1997 -- Bladerunner
• 1998 -- Complete Waste of Time
• 2000 -- A Fistful of Hobbits
• 2001 -- Twin Geeks
• 2003 -- The Matrix: Remaindered
• 2005 -- Lucas Back in Anger

From the website

Reductio Ad Absurdum was formed in 1995 to write and perform “Dune, or the Sand of Music” at Intersection, the  Glasgow Worldcon. Consisting of only 3 members (Phil Raines, Ian Sorensen and Jackie McRobert) you might think it odd that they tackled a work of such huge scope and epic scale as “Dune”, but that’s how stupid they are.
 
Encouraged by the success of “Dune” the team went on to create “Bladerunner, or Carry On Replicating” in ‘97, beginning a tradition of shows for Eastercons that always play to capacity crowds. In 1998 the team moved away from pastiching one epic and took on the job of subverting the entire time travel genre in “A Complete Waste of Time”. To mark the choice of “Lord of the Rings” as the book of the millennium, Reductio produced a spaghetti western called “A Fistful of Hobbits”. When Jackie retired Phil and Ian soldiered on, writing and performing “Twin Geeks” for Damn Fine Con, the 2001 Twin Peaks convention. In the 2003   show “The Matrix: Remaindered” the audience saw our ever popular stagehand, Noel Collyer, appear as Trinity in a tighter than skin tight latex catsuit. Some are still in therapy.
 
For the 2005 show Reductio had to Expandio to include a dozen actors and as many stage crew. Jackie and Noel are no longer part of the fun, but we feel they were there in spirit. The huge stage of the Clyde auditorium in Glasgow presented many technical challenges and performing problems, and we are grateful to the staff of the SECC who helped us pull off our most ambitious production ever. The show was seen by at least 2000 people, possibly as many as 2400. The first 1400 through the doors were given a star ship shaped kazoo with which to play “The Imperial March” each time Lord Vader made his entrance - we think they formed the largest ever kazoo orchestra in British musical history, a feat that I’m sure the Book Of World Records will someday acknowledge.
 
The script was written by Phil Raines and Ian Sorensen and the show directed by Phil. Emma Taylor directed the rehearsals (no, really, we did manage a couple of rehearsals!) and stage managed the show. Everyone involved in the show is an amateur (we know, it’s obvious!)
 
“Lucas Back In Anger” marks a decade of reducing the work of our betters to the level of absurdity with which we feel comfortable. We hope you enjoy visiting the weird and cardboard strewn world we like to call Reductio Ad Absurdum.

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Group

Website

1995—????

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