With their production GOLEM innovative British Theatre Company 1927 get us to look at the insidious way that technology is infiltrating and influencing our environment.
Through the play we follow the journey of the gawky main character with the very average sounding name of Robert Pattison, played by Shamira Turner, who gets her very own clay-helper, Golem.
This golem — a clay figurine seen in stop-motion — wards off Robert’s detractors, speeds through his work at the Binary Back Up Department and gives him advice, called for and not called for, about all sorts of lifestyle issues. Before long the rather lost Robert has a new lease on life.. He is promoted at work and he is cruising.
Word of mouth gets around, and soon everyone is getting their own golem. This, however, is not where the action stops. Soon there is Golem Mark 2 and Golem Mark 3. There is great advancement in the technology; Golem Mark 3 is a chip in the person’s brain which advises the owner.
The production seamlessly synchronises this strong narrative with live music, played on either side of the stage by two funky musicians with a wonderful use of the latest cinema and animation techniques. Through the show’s ninety minutes, straight through, the backdrop was constantly changing and the performers had to cleverly align themselves.
Suzanne Andrade is the writer and director and the wonderful cast included Esme Appleton, Will Close, Lillian Henley, Rose Robinson, Ben Whitehead, Shamira Turner and the director herself.
Verdict. One of the best things that theatre can do is to get audiences to incisively look at contemporary issues within society. It makes it even more special when the relevant theatre maker presents their ‘treatise’ in a fun, hip and ‘off the wall’ way.
With this latest production 1927 takes a biting look at the huge, seemingly out of control impact, that continuing advances technology is having on society. GOLEM brings to mind Stephen Hawking’s much publicised warning about the dangers that may be in store for humankind with continuing advances artificial intelligence. Will Artifical intelligence be the new Frankenstein?!
A Sydney Theatre Company presentation of a 1927, Salzburg Festival, Theatre of La Ville Paris and Young Vic co-production , GOLEM, created by 1927, played the Roslyn Packer theatre, 22 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay for a very brief season between the 16th and 26th March. The production had come up from Adelaide where it was one of the flagship shows of the recent Adelaide Arts Festival.
