Curated by Paloma Jacob-Duvernet and produced by Alice Eve in partnership with Omnibus Theatre
“I forced a bot to watch over 1,000 hours of theatre and then asked it to create a theatre festival of its own. Here is the first page.”
AI Festival is a state-of-the-art season of work starring an electric line-up of humans and robots. Fusing technology and theatre, AI Festival explores how artists can creatively engage with Artificial Intelligence.
Two weeks of theatre, comedy, workshops, exhibitions and conversation.
Oxia Theatre presents Assisted, by Greg Wilkinson and directed by: Gareth Watkins – 27 June – 2 July
Jordan and Connie want their next-generation AI voice assistant – Alivia – to make their perfect lives just that little bit better. But what happens when the technology starts to take control?
A funny and searching exploration of love and domesticity in the near future.
Technology plays a growing role in the most intimate parts of our day-to-day domestic existence – capturing and manipulating increasing amounts of unfiltered information about ourselves and our lives. Assisted speculates on what might happen – in how we communicate, how we love, and how we exercise agency – as that technology stops being purely our servant.
Improbotics presents Artificial Intelligence Improvisation: 28 – 30 June and 9 July
Human actors join artificial intelligence robots on a surreal trip in augmented reality, where the robots literally take control of the show. Some improvisers are controlled by artificial intelligence chatbots: will they pass the Turing Test?
In this hilariously absurd comedy, we invite the audience to reflect on human creativity, big tech, and the joy of building and messing with robots.
Artificial Intelligence Improvisation is a tech-infused improv and science comedy show from award-winning Improbotics, featured on the BBC, Bloomberg TV, and RTE One, as well as in Time Magazine, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New Scientist, and more.
Paloma Jacob-Duvernet presents Secret Thoughts: 4 – 9 July
Do you ever wonder: Am I unique? Do I have a soul? Is there a ghost in the machine? Well, you’re not the first, and you won’t be the last.
Ralph finds Helen uptight. Helen finds Ralph arrogant. At the crossroad between public lecture and secret diary, these two brilliant minds play an exciting game on the verge of a personal battle and attempt to solve the mystery of consciousness.
Secret Thoughts invites you to challenge your beliefs, celebrate your uniqueness and wonder if a day will come when you find the same quality in an AI. Written by David Lodge, adapted and directed by Paloma Jacob-Duvernet, Secret Thoughts was first staged at Southwark Playhouse in 2021 as part of Stone Crabs Young Directors programme.
Sam Pout presents Fisheye by Sam Pout and directed by Rosa Higgs: 4 – 9 July
“I imagine making them make sounds, say words or names. They hardly ever say my name first.”
This is the book of Genesis 2. The world is scarred by war, and environmental catastrophe has caused living to become unbearable. The last resort for Earth’s remaining population is to put its future in the hands of AI technology known as IONA. Three subjects enter IONA’s world, with the hope that within them they carry the answer to a new way of living. However, as IONA pushes them to their limits, the answer to humanity’s dream escapes them, leaving a scarier future in its wake.
Exploring the origins of morality and the desirable chaos of sexuality, this bold new play creates a landscape stretching from lush fields and scorching deserts to a place of pure desolation. Welcome to the healing process.
A brand-new sci-fi thriller from debut writer Sam Pout. Having premiered at Mountview Academy in 2021, it now features as part of Omnibus Theatre’s first ever AI Festival. Previous work of Sam’s has featured at Omnibus Theatre, The Vaults Theatre, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe meeting critical acclaim.
Omnibus Theatre
1 Clapham Common Northside
London SW4 0QW
Full details and booking: https://www.omnibus-clapham.org
