As the dust settles on this year’s Dublin Theatre Festival, two of our Young Critics give us their respective takes of Dead Centre’s To Be A Machine (Version 1.0)

In this episode of The Prop Room, Áindréas Fallon Verbruggen take look at To Be A Machine. 

This online play created by DeadCentre and Mark O’Connell for the Dublin Theatre Festival, explores the mechanics of humanity and if we are really as different as the machines we use. 

You can listen here: https://anchor.fm/aindreas-fallon-verbruggen/episodes/Episode-2-To-Be-A-Machine-eks624

Here Aoife Murphy gives us her take on To Be A Machine (Version 1.0)

Laughing in the face of level 3 restrictions, Dublin Theatre Festival held their head up high as they re-imagined what we know as theatre and delivered a superb socially distanced performance.

Developed and supported by the Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin, ‘To Be a Machine (Version 1.0)’ by Dead Centre and Mark O’Connell, is adapted from the Wellcome Prize-winning book by Mark and explores the idea of theatre without the barrier of a body. Staring critically acclaimed actor Jack Gleeson, playing himself, he actively attempts to not be a machine while the audience watches the live performance from Project Arts Centre in the comfort of their beds.

What is a forty five minute performance on the exploration of technological possibility and the limits of live performance, feels like a mere second. I found myself craving for more bewilderment when it ended. With its plot line hard to follow, I’m still confused as to what I witnessed exactly. But I think that’s what makes this piece that bit even more interesting. It doesn’t have one solid interpretation, so audiences can take what they want from it.

The slightly eerie atmosphere and wonderful cinematography makes gaining a sense of a personal connection to Jack seamlessly easy as he looks straight into the camera, into us, and rarely breaks eye contact. His soft voice is calming and Jack deals with some minor technical issues very professionally.

The only thing that took me out of the immersive experience is seeing my fellow Young Critic’s faces uploaded on a tablet screen, placed where we would have been sitting if we were physically at the theatre. It’s strange to witness; however it gave me some joy recognising people I know in the sea of digital profiles.

This trippy theatre performance will mess with your mind, challenging what you think you know with the exploration of the philosophical concept of what is existence. In a world constantly looking for answers to big questions, I feel that if this play were to give a solid response, it would suggest that there’s always an absolute to the trivial parts of life.

A 5/5 star performance rating.

Reviewed by Aoife Murphy Oct 3rd 2020.

You can listen to an audio version of this review here:

https://anchor.fm/alan1102/embed/episodes/To-Be-A-Machine-Version-1-0-Reviewed-by-Young-Critic-Aoife-Murphy-emcgso

Aoife is a member of Explore Youth Theatre in Leixlip Co, Kildare and Áindréas is a member of Mr. Sands Youth Theatre,Bray, Co.Wicklow. Both are Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics for 2020.