Writer: Steph Darcey
Director: Olivia Gibbs-Fairley
Generative AI and politicians have much in common. Superficially intelligent, they’re capable of producing large amounts of word salad that sound plausible but, upon further examination, turn out to be hollow nonsense crafted to sound appealing – stupidity designed to feel clever.
Technological advancement, and how the bland personas of modern politicians disguise the influence of billionaire tech owners, combine to form the basis of Steph Darcey’s brutally stupid satire, Prototype.
Expanding on a character developed in a short sketch, Darcey plays Amexa, a nearly lifelike android designed by a “tech bro” to infiltrate British politics. Developing a backstory that is trotted out mechanically – her father was a toolmaker, she’ll have you know – the team behind Amexa (all played by Darcey) configure her to become “Sally James”, who quickly rises to become an MP for the right-wing Perform Party.
Darcey has great fun poking at some notable recent politicians’ inability to communicate well. Teresa May’s uncomfortably robotic dancing is a frequent reference point, as is Liz Truss’s failure to ever sound sincere or knowledgeable. Among those broad sideswipes are digs at the use of AI in the arts, startup CEOs whose approach to staff welfare is lacking, and how disgraced MPs attempt to use reality television as a springboard to revive their political career.
It’s a sharply drawn, gag-filled romp through all these touchpoints that makes Darcey’s creation so hilarious. It’s also ideally suited to the Old Red Lion, whose pew-like bench seats form effective stand-ins for those in the House of Commons. And while some scenes do begin to come off the rails when Darcey has to switch between multiple characters in rapid succession, the central premise is so taut and well-realised that it hardly matters.
While the play’s structure initially shows its roots as a single sketch, as Darcey’s script progresses, the additional layers she introduces elevate the whole material. A seemingly throwaway topical gag at the beginning plays a pivotal role in later scenes, as Amexa’s duplicitous nature risks becoming revealed.
Darcey covers a lot of subject matter in its hour-long running time but does so with such a light touch that its comedy, which ranges from slapstick to keenly observed satire, is never heavy-handed. Unlike AI and politicians, Prototype is genuinely creative and intelligent – clever designed to seem stupid.
Continues until 16 August 2024
Camden Fringe runs until 25 August
