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Whilst there are some interesting ideas at play, this script needs to undergo a complete overhaul to tidy up too many annoying discrepancies. Summary
Rating
Ok
Theatre, and especially fringe theatre, generally has its finger on the pulse of society. With so much made by young fresh creatives it’s not a surprise when this work explores themes that are current and important to any self-respecting twenty-something. It’s why climate change crops up with such regularity, and why AI and its future implications now comes a close second.
And it’s AI that Reanicorp explores, imagining a future where you can have an AI android of a lost loved one, complete with all the memories that can be gathered from their life, all on a monthly subscription. At the centre of it all is Michael (Jake Ord), head of the AI programme. Following a questionable death of a client, he finds himself fighting for both his job and the existence of the whole programme. He does so by showing two case studies of why his androids do a marvellous job in helping people overcome their grief. But will these be enough to convince the board of his value?
There are certainly some good ideas within the script; its attempts to explore whether bringing your loved ones back in AI form is a solution for grief or in fact prolongs the anguish has plenty of space to go deeper. And the closing scene as we see the final moments of each AI is a concept I’d love to have seen more central to the whole story. But the real problem is the rest of the writing. It throws up too many inconsistencies, with too many plot holes that make for a frustrating watch. Whilst it tries to explain these away, they begin to nag and distract as the show progresses. The flashbacks are meant to present the audience with an examination of how we process grief, but there’s a lack of proper cohesion, meaning each feels like a separate story, with all the elements not quite blending together correctly. You might suspect the three credited writers all wrote independent parts. And if we are picking holes, the unfortunate incident is initially suggested as possible manslaughter, but later on it’s clear that it was a suicide, which surely changes the dynamics of the whole play? The script needs an overhaul to tidy away all the little lapses that just frustrate the more you consider them.
What does work is Daniel Formosa’s directing. He handles the three separate elements well, allowing them to co-exist on the same stage without stumbling over each other, and using the full space to keep it all flowing along. The use of silhouette theatre also adds some visually pleasing aspects and inventiveness to proceedings.
The six strong cast do the best they can with the script. Ord delivers a powerful central role as Michael, a subtle blend of obsession with conviction that he alone has the answers to grief. Megan Peace as Alex is another highlight, managing to switch smoothly between the android version and the young and alive Alex we see in the flashbacks within flashbacks – if you can ignore how this is another major flaw: how can you have a flashback in what is meant to be a recorded history of events?
In the end, Reanicorp doesn’t quite deliver on its promise. It undoubtably contains some interesting thoughts about grief, but the flaws within the script just frustrate that little bit too much to allow the show to leave a positive imprint.
Written by: Daniel Formosa, Jake Ord and Megan Peace
Directed by: Daniel Formosa
Produced by: Megan Peace
Movement direction by: Valentina Vidal
Voiceover technician: Oliver Yam
Reanicorp plays at Lion and Unicorn Theatre until 11 May. Further information and bookings can be found here.
