“without a moment to blink you are placed in your faction to begin the game”
“Do more than belong: participate”
(William Arthur Ward)
Most often, or not, as audience members in a theatre we naturally fall into the habit of remaining subdued during a performance, unless encouraged to do otherwise – and most likely only if we see others doing the same. As soon as we find our seats and settle in, it’s almost as if we silence ourselves simultaneously as we turn our phones onto ‘silent-mode.’ Whilst this may be generalising ever so slightly, if there ever was an interactive performance to kick-start your audience-member-receptors into gear, look no further than Revolution.
As part of the extensive programme at this year’s Vault Festival, Revolution is a 90-minute immersive and interactive performance by Exit Productions inspired by games like Risk, Diplomacy, Settlers of Catan, and Civilisation. It takes place during a revolutionary upheaval in London whereby the audience are protagonists in the story and are split into rival factions. Throughout the high-energy performance it is up to you and your fellow audience members to decide the course of the revolution.
The performance is a delightful ride from the very beginning. After gathering at the meeting point before the performance we were led through the Vault Tunnels past a variety of political graffiti, the majority being various depictions of Trump, which seemed incredibly poignant as a precursor to the performance. Once we arrived at the venue we were quickly ushered inside where an intense soundscape filled the space, and without a moment to blink you are placed in your faction to begin the game.
This arena couldn’t have fit this performance more appropriately, there was an open area where, between rounds, the audience convened, as well as divided spaces for the faction HQs. It felt almost maze-like, adding another layer to an already incredibly animated experience. Additionally, the set was comprised of a selection of furniture that gave that feeling of instant immersion, vital for such a performance.
The potential downside of such a performance is that it relies so heavily on the audience willingly participating for the full game. However, the overall atmosphere of the game was commanded incredibly efficiently by the entirety of the actors (Peter Dewhurst, Lauren Gibson, Chris Neels, Clemency Thorburn), often without you realising. Even for the most shy of audience members, the energy within the performance space will make you feel like taking part is the only option.
If you’re in need of channelling your inner-frustration with the current political climate elsewhere, I’d wholeheartedly recommend taking part in Revolution as a remedy. I promise, it works!
Artificial Intelligence is a concept we have grown up with. The idea that one-day robots may become so advanced that they may be able to become living beings just like us. Every so often in films, you have the odd release about AI robots, my favourite being the 2001 A.I. Artificial Intelligence, but in the theatre this as a topic area is less touched upon. AI Love You by Heart to Heart Theatre Company and directed by Joe Ball was a remarkable production that kept me gripped, torn and immersed until the very end.
The story is about an average young couple Adam and April who lead an ordinary life, except April is an artificially intelligent robot, created to be Adam’s perfect girlfriend. One day, April finds she has a bug in her system, a bug that cannot be fixed causing her body to begin to shut down. Thus, April decides she would like to appeal for her right for euthanasia. It is with this premise that the play begins.
Melanie Ball as the writer of the piece has to be praised for her poetic writing. Each character was multi-dimensional, living and existing through the outstanding writing. The structure of this piece was simple but extremely effective, where we as the audience have to make decisions throughout the piece that impacts the way the theatre piece unfolds; leading to us having the ultimate decision at the end and this, in turn, impacts the ending of the piece. And, it worked perfectly.
However, based on the responses of the audience in the show I attended and the arguments used by the characters themselves, it made me wonder how differently this piece would have been received if the AI was instead male. With a history of objectification, lack of rights and oppression, I feel as though most audiences will automatically side with the AI for she is female. Most of us when we hear women – robotic or not – being described as objects or belonging to a man we automatically side with her, but would the same be done for a male AI? This for me was the only thing I would challenge this piece to consider.
On another note though, Peter Dewhurst as Adam and Eve Ponsonby as April are true stars in this show. Both actors gave a tremendous performance. The chemistry emitted by both these young actors was addictive to watch. I was torn by the love Adam felt for April, for at times the way he demonstrated this love left me wondering about his true intentions. Peter’s performance was so nuanced that as the ‘human’, I was really left critically questioning him in hindsight of the decision I would need to make.
On the same note, Eve Ponsonby as the AI: April was so captivating from beginning to end. Every time she looked directly into my eyes, I felt continuously immersed in her story and the piece. Eve’s physicality, voice and presence throughout this piece really made us believe she was robotic with a human exterior. It was a nuanced performance; complete with a sense of truthfulness in every word she uttered either us or Adam.
AI Love You is magnificent, complex and beautifully addictive. It’s a story that stays with you even after the play ends because the fate of these characters is in your hands. The question is are you willing to find out what the consequences are?
