Only a few days left to see Kashyap Raja’s futuristic new play Version 2.0, which asks whether robots can ever replace real human relationships. Kevin Michael Reed’s world premiere production must finish this Saturday (4 March 2018) at London’s Leicester Square Theatre. We’ve rounded up critical and audience buzz about the show…
Kash, a playwright, is obsessed with his childhood friend and actor Karen. Kash expresses his love for Karen by writing plays for her. Their friendship falls apart when Karen rejects Kash, after which he isolates himself from everyone and falls into a depression. A robotic society offers Kash an opportunity to live with a humanoid companion, and in return, that society wants him to introduce their robots to the world via the means of theatre. Kash prepares a new show with the humanoid lookalike of Karen and presents her in front of a live audience.
Challenging the superficiality of modern society and exploring the effect of social media culture on society, Version 2.0 asks whether a robot can ever replace a real human and how much screen interactions can supplant face-to-face relationships. The premiere production stars Tim Atkinson and Tracey Pickup. It’s directed by Kevin Michael Reed and designed by Martin Scott Marchitto, with original music by John Kerfoot and costumes by Jovana Gospavic.
Version 2.0 runs at London’s Leicester Square Theatre from 20 February to 3 March 2018, with performances (90 minutes) Tuesdays to Saturdays at 8pm, Saturday matinees at 3.30pm. Tickets are priced £17 (concessions £15).
What are people saying about the show?
Veronica Stein: “Issues of consent, ownership, and entitlement are rife in our current political climate. Kashyap Raja brilliantly brings artificial intelligence to the same discussion… [The actors’] chemistry is undeniable, and watching them work the crowd is one of the main pleasures of Version 2.0.”
“This play is about unusual, in a nice way. I enjoyed the dialogues and the performances of the actors, especially of the neurotic Kash played by Tim Atkinson and Karen (Tracey Pickup) who flips from the ‘normal’ Karen to the robot one.”
Serena Haywood
@SerenaHaywood
PMA London
@uk_triplethreat
Madhav Vasantha
@actorMads
“Tracey Pickup’s performance is absolutely superb. Switching between humanoid and human personality with ease, gorgeous smile, so pretty, such a spectrum of expressions. Excellent work!”
“I enjoyed this a lot. It’s a nice cosy theatre and the closeness of actors really makes it immersive. The play itself is very interesting, dealing with both AI related and very human topics. Definitely recommend seeing it.”
“Have to applaud the talent of the two actors, flawless and seasoned performances. The story is a quirky one yet that keeps you focused on the characters. I enjoyed seeing Karen flick from human to robot. She plays it perfectly. Very enjoyable.”
“An intriguing play about a portrait of the love life of a young man. Frighteningly realistic and quite heartbreaking. Well acted and a tragic commentary on today’s society.”
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