God From The Machine

Armed with a guitar, a piano and a bit of a humour, Ellen Johnston deconstructs our notion of “God” through the eyes of various deities – Madonna, Athena, Isis.

“On the run from a terrible pain" our protagonist clings to hope before a shrine found in a dirty parking lot as “waiting for a miracle that doesn’t want to come” she searches for her very own deus ex machina or, as it translates, God from the Machine, to quickly bring her problems to an end.

Ellen Johnston is a competent actor and a talented musician accompanying herself on guitar and piano.  Her songwriting is interesting and effective, a stand out being the snappy and humerous “I want to go a hoboing”.  The plotline seemed a bit disjointed however and I was not sure I was always following. 

“When we talk about hope, we always talk like it’s a good thing.”

Are we to take our lives into our own hands or are we simply to wait for God from the Machine?