Review: Play-AI, King’s Head Theatre

Camden Fringe

Ever wondered what would happen if you let a chatbot write your play? Play-AI at King’s Head Theatre throws caution to the wind and does just that, with results that are equal parts hilarious and head-scratching.

The show’s premise is simple: as part of a science experiment, an AI assistant turns audience suggestions into plotlines, then the cast tries to make sense of the digital nonsense. The audience’s often random, vulgar, and likely inebriated responses result in characters like a water-allergic plumber Donald Trump and a child hunter whose quirky trait is being a “versatile bottom”. Meanwhile, the AI valiantly attempts to craft a clean, generic, family-friendly story. This clash leads to delightfully awkward moments, like actors trying to navigate a family-friendly striptease scene without any actual stripping. When it works, it’s comedy gold. When it doesn’t, well, that’s part of the charm too.

To keep things fresh, the audience isn’t just responding to prompts, they’re also costuming actors, playing director, and more. “Technical issues” shake up the formula as the show progresses, with one actor not receiving the script or a final scene left entirely to improvisation.

The cast dives into the chaos with admirable gusto. Their quick thinking, exaggerated body language, surprisingly convincing accents and composure in the face of absurd plot twists is impressive, even if not every AI-generated joke lands.

While Play-AI doesn’t dig deep into AI’s impact on creativity beyond some brief musings on why human chaos trumps machine logic, it offers a fun, surface-level exploration of the trend. The show shines brightest when it fully embraces its ridiculous premise, letting the AI’s stranger suggestions take centre stage.

The intimate setting works wonders, creating a vibe that makes the audience feel like co-conspirators in this mad experiment. It’s less polished theatre and more collaborative comedy workshop – and that’s perfect for the concept.

Is Play-AI groundbreaking? Not really. But in our algorithm-obsessed world, there’s something refreshing about watching humans gleefully mess up machine-generated plots. It’s a reminder that while AI might provide generic prompts and cliché scenarios, it’s human creativity and adaptability that truly bring a performance to life. Don’t expect profound insights into AI and art. But if you’re after a night of unpredictable laughs and impressive improv, Play-AI delivers in spades.

Performed by: Paloma Oakenfold, Emma Richardson, Simon Pothecary, Carly Hendricks, Alex Blackie, Lottie Grogan
Produced by: Emma Richardson

Play-AI has completed its run for Camden Fringe