East is South – The Eternal Truth?
“Was that the double-bind situation when we were exploring negative capability?”
Samira Darvish, Interrogator
Hampstead Theatre continues to strive to produce new plays and performances without Arts Council support. This can sometimes lead to interesting presentations, while at other times, it results in flawed productions. On the night we saw East is South, there was an issue with no video design which affected the production.
Director Ellen McDougall has assembled a strong cast, including Kaya Scodelario (Lena) in her first major lead role and the reliable Luke Treadaway (Sasha). They portray two computer programmers tasked with monitoring and improving a super AI computer in what is, essentially, a love story.
Artificial Intelligence is the current trend, marketed as a tool to enhance our lives—even if we never realized we needed improvement. This play echoes the dystopian visions of mid-20th-century science fiction, such as Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, 1984 by George Orwell, and even the ominous future depicted in the Terminator films. The central theme revolves around humanity losing control over its own creations.
The play is set at the early stages of the computer’s development, buried thirty levels underground in America. Here, people are not always what they seem. The two protagonists, aware of the potential dangers of their creation, devise a Trojan Horse program to modify the “kill switch” safeguard of the AI system, Logos.
The stage, designed by Alex Eales, is split into two levels. The upper level is manned by Supervisor Olsen (Alec Newman) and Technician (Aaron Gill), who oversee the interrogation of Lena by Simira (Natalie Armin) and Ari (Cliff Curtis). Meanwhile, the implied torture of Sasha unfolds below. As is typical in large corporations, there are layers of authority—bosses, senior bosses, and unseen “super bosses” who remotely oversee the proceedings.
This is where the play encounters its major flaws. The central story is solid and could be effectively conveyed in about an hour; however, the production stretches to an hour and forty-five minutes. Along the way, it introduces several underdeveloped themes, such as the role of religion and an extended explanation of the New Zealand Haka, neither of which add any clear relevance to the narrative. To compensate, playwright Beau Willimon, an executive producer on Apple TV’s Severance (Season 2), relies on convoluted technobabble, which ultimately detracts from the story rather than enhancing it.
East is South presents an intriguing premise but is weighed down by unnecessary distractions and an overlong runtime. With a more focused narrative and tighter execution, it could have been a compelling exploration of AI and human ethics.
Malcolm Beckett has been reviewing theatre since 2017
Production Notes
East is South
Written by Beau Willimon
Directed by Ellen McDougall
Cast
Starring:
Alec Newman
Luke Treadaway
Nathalie Armin
Aaron Gill
Cliff Curtis
Kaya Scodelario
Creatives
Director: Ellen McDougall
Composer: Colin Stetson
Designer: Alex Sales
Movement Director: Sung Im Her
Lighting Designer: Azusa Ono
Fight Director: Bret Yount
Musical Director: David Ridley
Sound Designer: Tingying Dong
Information
Running Time: One hour 45 minutes without an interval
Booking to 15th March 2025
Theatre:
Hampstead Theatre
Eton Avenue
Swiss Cottage
Tube: Swiss Cottage
Reviewed
by Malcolm Beckett at
Hampstead Theatre
on 18th February 2025