Review: THE W.I.G OF LIFE: A CONFERENCE, Riverside Studios

“Your input will determine the outcome”

Entering Riverside Studios, you are greeted by two performers dressed in grey bodysuits and bright blue bob wigs, speaking to you in monotonous tones. You are asked to select an “accessory” for the conference you are attending - two tables display a range of these accessories including leis, sunglasses and rainbow moustaches - before going into the theatre itself. In terms of a set, there is nothing but wigs. Wigs worn by the performers, wigs hanging from the ceiling, wigs on mannequin heads on the floor. What exactly is happening?

The W.I.G of Life: A Conference has quite the interesting synopsis. Audience members are entering “The Conference on the Historical Manufacturing of Cheese” in an “avatar form,” appearing in a space that looks the way Riverside Studios would have in 2024 before the downfall of humanity. We are in the “Human Year 2247” where no more biological life exists. The performers (and creators), Francesca Fatichenti, Christof Hofer and Arielle Zilkha are the AI in charge of the conference, guiding us to use our avatars and take out our phones in order to contribute to the discussion through polls shown on a projection on a black curtain.

Before we can begin discussing the historical manufacturing of cheese as planned, we are interrupted by a video message from the leader of the AI collective - a biological entity has been discovered, revealed to us as a rainbow wig. Instead of discussing cheese, we must now choose whether to work to keep the entity alive or to let it die, allowing AI to remain in power without any threat of biological dominance. 

In order to help us make our decision, the three AI hosts take us through the history of biological light, using wigs and flashlights to perform an abstract style of storytelling and explain what went wrong with humanity that led to AI taking over. Some moments, like when we are transported into a Victorian classroom to learn about a range of strange trials over history, are more what one would expect of a play, with the AI hosts performing as humans and showing just how bizarre laws can be. Others are a mix of spoken word and hand movements, like the beginning of humanity that focuses on “togetherness.”

One of the more unique aspects of this production is its focus on technology and how it influences the show itself, with voting taking place that can change the plot. The interactive aspect of the show seems to be quite hit-or-miss depending on the audience. At the show I attended, the audience appeared to be very hesitant to add responses, with the performers making comments about time being of the essence to encourage people to respond quickly.

During one segment, we are given the choice of seeing another scene or to go straight to the final choice. The performers seemed quite surprised that the audience chose to skip the scene, leading to them being a little bit thrown off for the next few minutes as they jumped to the end of the show. 

Finally, we are faced with the most important decision - do we give biological life a chance? There are three choices - Yes, No or Abstain. The way the audience votes decides the end of the show, making it one that could be seen multiple times in order to see a range of outcomes based on the particular audience members at each performance.

Fatichenti, Hofer and Zilkha put on amusing performances as our AI hosts for the conference, constantly rebooting in order to prepare for the next scene or making quips about human things they do not understand. There are some stumbles over lines throughout and an unfortunate tendency for the performers to speak over one another in order to get their lines out, which leads to a little bit of confusion. They all, however, give strong comedic performances which help the audience feel at ease in this strange new world they have been brought into.

Ultimately, The W.I.G of Life: A Conference is a show with a fascinating concept that, with some more development, could become a great reflection on the relationship between humanity and AI. There are serious conversations that can be had and encouraged through what Psychonaut Theatre has created and I look forward to seeing what they do next.

The W.I.G of Life: A Conference runs until 14 July at Riverside Studios as a part of the Bitesize Festival.

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