The Future

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6 June 2019 · Follow on Stagedoor

“If I had to pick five of my favourite companies, then I am certain that the prodigiously talented music ensemble Little Bulb would make the cut. They are just so loveable, but also so skilled. This is theatre made with craft and heart. You may recall how I raved about ‘Orpheus’ at Battersea Arts Centre’s Grand Hall last Christmas so I am really up for their latest, which examines a near future where Artificial Intelligence has surpassed the brightest human minds. Expect your own mind to be bended in an evening of theatre where experimental electronica meets polyphonic singing. Oh, I do love a bit of polyphonic singing.”

Overview

In the present, a small group of scientists sit professionally worrying about all this and invite you to explore the aftermath of what they believe will be an “intelligence explosion”.

Part scientific conference, part apocalyptic public service announcement. Join award-winning Little Bulb Theatre (Orpheus, Extravaganza Macabre, Operation Greenfield) for a mind-bending musical evening of experimental electronica and prophetic polyphonic singing as we journey to the future.

Critic reviews

Something of a mess, but for the most part a brilliantly absurd, earnestly didactic one

⋅ WhatsOnStage

But its squelchy electric guitar sounds and tongue-in-cheek sketches creates something different: a refreshingly accessible intro to a future we can’t afford to look away from

⋅ Time Out

A musical romp through the artificial intelligence debate that’s entertaining but only skims the surface

⋅ The Stage

A plea for wisdom and humility as we build the machines that could far surpass our human capabilities

Exeunt

This fun, irreverent, and brilliantly choreographed cosmic rock concert shines a comic light on the nature of AI and human consciousness

⋅ London Box Office

The Future is a lot of fun and it feels so fantastical that it’s hard to take seriously, but the show is based on real ideas, real scientists and real possible scenarios

⋅ The Upcoming