Theatregoers will be most familiar with Simon Evans as a highly accomplished director – did you know that he’s also a magician? In his latest magic show, reuniting with his fellow director-illusionist David Aula, he aims to make mankind vanish – this week only at VAULT Festival. Vanishing Mankind comes highly recommended by none other than Lenny Henry and Gyles Brandreth, amongst others. What are you waiting for?!
– I think we should do something better with time than wasting it…
– If you knew Time as well as I do, you wouldn’t talk about wasting “it”. It’s a “Him”.
– All I know about time is that I have to beat it when I learn music.
– You can’t beat Time. All you can do is keep on good terms with Him. If you do that, He’ll do almost anything you ask.
In sixty minutes, mankind will vanish… Time is running out, but two hypnotists know what to do. The creators of The Vanishing Man turn to Humanity’s Last Great Hope: you.
But you’re just innocent bystanders in this; unique individuals bearing witness to the little story of Artificial Intelligence, time travel and the destruction of us all. You’re certainly not the collective personification of a time manipulating, all-powerful sentience borne out of exponentially improving self-taught computer code. But can you prove it…?
This sounds like my kind of mystery: #VANISHINGMANKIND . . . From the creators of #vanishingman, a BRAND NEW show about magic, hypnosis and artificial intelligence. The genius of @davidaula & @simonevans25 on stage @VAULTfestival next week
— Gyles Brandreth (@GylesB1) January 24, 2018
Simon Evans and his ‘much more talented but somehow under-appreciated best friend’ David Aula reunite to follow up on their hugely popular The Vanishing Man, which toured after a sell-out run at the 2016 VAULT Festival.
Progress in the field of Artificial Intelligence is growing exponentially, and in the short term will decimate jobs. (Though theatre-makers are safe, right? The robots surely don’t want our paltry incomes.) As the machines can learn more and more, and learn quicker and quicker, will our puny minds be left behind? The experts say this development will make the Terminator look like a Republican politician, they say it will mean either extinction or immortality for humanity, they say it’s really quite likely to happen in our lifetimes. Either way, at the end of this story humanity – as ever previously described – will vanish.
Evans and Aula have developed a unique way of interacting with their audience – which turns every audience member into a player in the story. The Vanishing Man explored belief in the afterlife using magic and misdirection, Vanishing Mankind explores the future of life in the universe using mind control and hypnotism (with the odd card trick thrown in).
Yo tweeps! @SimonEvans25 my very talented director (from # Ui, @DonmarWarehouse) is a world class magician too! He’ll be the one onstage next (playing with audiences again) with @davidaula in #VanishingMankind.
Opening @VAULTFestival TOMORROW and running until Sunday. See it! pic.twitter.com/r9QUoxWZvD
— Lenny Henry (@LennyHenry) January 30, 2018
Evans’ most recent directing credits include last year’s revival of Brecht’s The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, starring magic fan Lenny Henry at the Donmar; as well as star-studded productions of Bug (with James Norton and Kate Fleetwood), The Dazzle (with Andrew Scott) and Fool for Love (with Adam Rothenberg and Lydia Wilson) at Found111. Aula’s directing credits include The Cement Garden (Vault Festival) and Personal Enemy (Theater59E59, New York).
UP NEXT: VANISHING MANKIND
Thrilled to be @VAULTFestival again w. @davidaula. After #vanishingman we’re BACK with #vanishingmankind! Hypnosis, magic and a little intelligence. Please come!
Jan 31-Feb 4. https://t.co/wB6mVtisol
In 60 minutes, mankind will vanish. Now… relax. pic.twitter.com/XyONSs7vrE
— Simon Evans (@SimonEvans25) January 10, 2018
#vanishingmankind is a distinct chapter in the story of @SimonEvans25 trying to work out every trick he’s ever seen. This time we’ve left the past behind and we’re going back to the future. The trick is has less to do with playing cards and more to do with #machinelearning.
— David Aula (@davidaula) January 15, 2018
