Writer: Matthew Gabrielli
Director: Julian Bruton
Best friends Jamie and Sophie have committed the ultimate online faux-pas and are on the brink of being cancelled. Their light-hearted zombie outfit Halloween selfie has gone viral – and not because people were taking inspiration from their fantastic makeup skills. In the background, eagle-eyed Instagram users have spotted a tribute to a recently deceased child, and the internet has collectively reacted quickly, intensely and unapprovingly, accusing the pair of uploading the photo to mock the bereaved. If they want to save their reputation, they have to act fast and appease the mob of internet trolls that are currently baying for blood.
Cancel culture, mob mentality, algorithms and online influencers – all social media buzzwords used frequently and discussed in depth. But the subjects have never been broached quite like this, with director Julian Bruton turning Matthew Gabrielli’s intriguing script into a dark political pantomime. Punch & Judy puppets designed by Aled Williams are used to depict the trolls, keyboard warriors hiding behind their anonymous avatars to inflict abuse and judgement on as many victims as possible. The more outrageous, the more coverage, which in turn means more followers and a larger platform for their hate-filled speech to spread to the masses. This creative use of puppets is a fantastic way to artistically articulate the users behind the screen, juxtaposing it with the care-free innocence that a puppet show normally embodies.
Matthew Gabrielli’s in-depth script cleverly broaches each topic, clearly outlining both sides of each argument, while still allowing his personal opinions to be revealed within the comeuppance of the characters. The life-cycle of action > acknowledgement > attack is outlined well, with the initial Zombiegate selfie coming full circle with the exposure of online troll Mr Punch. The characters are well fleshed out, polarising them to outline the varying aspects and approaches that are often part of an incident such as #Zombiegate. Because of the varying grey areas within each character choice and situation it allows the storyline to elicit an internal debate within the audience – expertly done without becoming a glorified Ted Talk.
George Howard (Jamie) and Ebony Jonelle (Sophie) are excellent casting choices, both realistically portraying each part of their character arcs, engaging the audience from beginning to end. Chand Martinez (Tony/Simon) and Virginia Thompson (Jennifer/Danielle) brilliantly undertake various roles alongside being the humorous puppeteers for the evening. The four talented actors work in unison to bring Gabrielli’s script to life, humanising each of the characters and showcasing the diverse spectrum of each situation.
Social media is filled with snowflake generation insults, celebrities getting cancelled, Donald Trump’s alt-right hysteria and most recently numerous free speech debates after Elon Musk’s Twitter buy-out – so this is an entertaining, unique show that feels all too relevant in the current online climate.
Runs until 19 November 2022
