Alan Aykbourn’s 89th play opened on Tuesday at New Vic and deals with themes of Artificial Intelligence, the affect on our emotions and its impact it has on our daily lives. When does AI stretch from being supplemental, to heavy reliance?
Bachelor Don is played by Andy Cryer, with his ‘Konstant Kompanion’ freshly delivered, he’s doing his level best to unpack and assemble his latest purchase with the urgency of a man with pure lust on his mind.
Providing technical support to Don via the telephone is Leigh Symonds’ Robotic Engineer, Winston who is having troubles of his own with robotic maid ED (Naomi Peterson) who is causing domestic unrest within the house of Andrea De Santo (Tanya-Loretta Dee). Winston, himself cutting a forlorn figure, sets about manipulating the circuitry of the errant robot, but who is really manipulating who?
Finally we are at the offices of high flying lawer of the aforementioned De Santo, Lorraine (Alexandra Mathie) ,and her executive assistant Sylvia (Georgia Burnell) . Andrea on a milestone birthday, balancing her career alongside an inconsiderate and apathetic husband, Lorraine finds solace in the humaoid arms of polite and attentive ‘JAN 60’ (Richard Stacey) a robotic janitor who has had a recent upgrade, experiencing human-like emotions.
Weaving subtly and delicately, the three storylines intertwine within Kevin Jenkins’ split-set design, Ayckbourn explores themes of love and companionship. Very briefly stepping into the future, we see how those built to fulfil lustful or menial tasks have integrated themselves into society and building on their own wants and desires.
The cast were really strong as a unit, the characters so vastly different but sharing the basest common desires. Special mentions to Andy Cryer who shines with his comical portrayal of Don, developing his character on the timeline of humour to pity. Leigh Symonds, sends us on a similar journey again masking his characters’ isolation and inadequacies with very funny ‘matter-of-fact’ delivery of the dialogue. We were also treated to fantastically convincing robotic performances too from Richard Stacey as well as Naomi Peterson.
As for the message from Ayckbourn, its high-tech problems addressing an age-old desire to belong, be wanted as well as loved and the lengths humans will go to achieve this. Is it a prediction for the future or just a premise for laughs that turn bitter-sweet which then ultimately focusses the lens on humanity? Only time will tell.
It was humorous, compassionately thought-provoking and another fine Ayckbourn production staged at New Vic. It’s a wonderfully written mix of present and future, examining subject matter and human emotions that are time immemorial.
On until the 4th November, tickets can be booked here
Photos by Tony Bartholomew
