Machina

stage, one can’t help feeling we could be on the brink of the cyber possibilities Jordan explores here.

David Sergeant, in a fit of depression decides to upload his consciousness into Machina, a social networking site, and suicides. We never get to meet the young man who has ‘gone inside’ but he is the focus of this drama.

Isobel, his distraught mother, played by Kaye Stevenson, just wants to know where he is and the circumstances that led to his decision. She decides to use computer technology to try to contact David. Stevenson tackles this challenging role with strength and conviction.

Director Catarina Hebbard skilfully leads her cast of six (all but Stevenson playing double roles), through the tangles of the social network.

Luisa Prosser plays Isobel’s computer tutor, Lesley; and Isobel’s daughter, Julie, and one of several modern characters who have two personas, their reality and their online one. Julie meets Hannah (Judy Hainsworth) online, they develop a relationship and swap personas through social technology.     

Liam Nunan plays charismatic Tom, who was in a relationship with David but broke it off shortly before David ‘went inside’; and Pippa, who is in Isobel’s computer tutorial.

Peter Rasmussen plays Isobel’s husband in flashbacks, and Adam, friend of both David and Tom, who knew about their relationship breakup.

Through Jack Kelly (Scott – and a minor character, a dancer) we get to understand the tenuous ways social relationships develop.

Congratulations to the creatives who turned the Loft into a big white empty mind space where this plot could take place.

Jordan has hit on a winning concept here.

Jay McKee