The Girl in the Machine

18-26 July 7.30pm

by Stef Smith

Directed by Lesley Strachan

What if you could escape? Not just for an hour, but forever. The Black Box promises exactly that – relief from the daily grind, a cure for depression, even eternal bliss. Everyone's getting one. It's the future. When Owen brings one home, Polly is sceptical. They have everything figured out: successful careers, a passionate marriage, plans for the life ahead. But as the headset's seductive pull takes hold, Polly watches the person she loves slip further and further away into a digital paradise she can't reach. And when the line between human and machine begins to blur, how do you hold onto someone who's already gone?

A gripping vision of technology's darkest promises, Girl in the Machine asks: what are we willing to lose in exchange for happiness?

This production includes scenes of self harm. Suitable for audiences of 16 and over.

An amateur production by arrangement with Nick Hern Books.