Review: Quirky MACHINE MAKES MAN Extends Tradition of Science Fiction on Stage at Cape Town Fringe

On stage, science fiction seems to be something of an anomaly, although this is not to say that the quirky speculative drama, MACHINE MAKES MAN, is without precedent. Jules Verne incorporated elements of science fiction into his rather more fantastical JOURNEY INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE (1882), while Karel Capek's R.U.R. (1920) examined what might happen to the world should a class of partly organic robots be introduced into society. Mid-twentieth century pieces, like Arch Oboler's NIGHT OF THE AUK (1956), drew inspiration from the space race, with a focus on the potential consequences of technological development, while 1980s playwrights typically put a comic spin on the genre in plays like Alan Ayckbourn's HENCEFORWARD (1987). More recently, productions like Jennifer Haley's THE NETHER (2013), have renewed the interest in science fiction on stage as a vehicle for ethical debate about the future that we are creating through our consumption of technology. Dealing with the concepts of technological singularity and transhumanism, Adina and Michael Verson-McQuilken's MACHINE MAKES MAN navigates its way through the traditions of the genre, ultimately emerging as a poignant reflection on the nature of humanity, with some broadly comic entertainment along the way.

MACHINE MAKES MAN begins with Milly Kramer in the offices of an organisation known as DARPA. She is there to protest the dissolution of her husband's body, which she claims is a result of the experimental treatment for which he had volunteered some months earlier. Jeffrey, through the treatment, had gained knowledge in exponential leaps and bounds, and the couple's story is told through flashbacks that bring the audience up to speed on how Milly and Jeffrey have forever changed their lives by their embracing of DARPA's biotechnological research.

Drawing inspiration from Raymond Kurzweil's writings around technological singularity and transhumanism, MACHINE MAKES MAN explores the ethics of a trajectory that, transhumanists say, will shift our natural state of being to one of post-human existence as a result of enhanced intellectual, physical and psychological abilities. While that sounds like dense, albeit fascinating, subject matter, the Verson-McQuilkens skilfully distil these vast ideas into the tiniest and most human of love stories. MACHINE MAKES MAN resonates with the audience primarily because of Jeffrey and Milly's genuineness in the early scenes, which means that we go along with the wild ride upon which the play's narrative takes them. The musical montage in the second half of the show, for example, would probably be as entertaining without that basic groundwork, but would it be as funny without such a fundamental connection to the characters? That attention to detail is what makes MACHINE MAKES MAN feel like a play that can exist outside of this original Old Sound Room production; whatever production company takes it on with whatever approach, this play is a thoroughly thought through work in its own right.

The Verson-McQuilkens themselves perform MACHINE MAKES MAN in this production. Adina invests Milly with a wholesome appeal, balancing the character's vulnerability and determination well. Michael's performance of Jeffrey seems almost understated at first, but it is all part of a carefully crafted character arc. When Jeffery reaches the height of his mania, it becomes apparent just how much the performer has done to enliven the construct that he helped to develop from an initial impulse into a fleshed out theatrical performance.

In the hands of director Fisher Neal, MACHINE MAKES MAN feels loose and edgy. The production, with its multi-modal multimedia approach, which includes the actors providing sounds effects live on stage using sampled sounds, effects and recorded music, feels like it could run away with the play at any moment, but it never does. There were times during the performance when I would have liked the various elements of the piece to be more tightly integrated, although - while that feeling has not entirely disappeared - there is a great deal to be said for Neal's approach serving as an amplification of the theme of technological singularity, at the ultimate point of which technology overwhelms humanity.

MACHINE MAKES MAN is a theatrical experience that offers something that is distinctive, its own thing, even as it extends the tradition of science fiction on stage. It is a gripping production that winds its way into your consciousness and opens up a world of thought and ethical dilemmas in the way that the best science fiction always does, by remembering that the audience is made up of human beings.

MACHINE MAKES MAN runs at City Hall 1 at the Cape Town Fringe until 29 September. Details of performance times and bookings are through the Cape Town Fringe website.

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