"We are in a time of paralysis.
And nobody can understand why.
We all know that something is deeply wrong within our society.
But we are unable to act.
We are increasingly interconnected.
Yet power seems further away than ever before."
"Does this sound familiar?
Good.
Because we have been here before."
if not this then that is a play performed entirely by the audience. The unravelling narrative explores the influence of colonialism on the development of computing technology and addresses how these attitudes have influenced the algorithmic and binary systems that govern computers. The play also critiques contemporary theatrical norms and conventions, and discusses how our history shapes our perceptions of the ‘self’ and ‘otherness’ in the present.
The play takes the form of a collection of disconnected scenes and activities for the audience to perform individually or as a group. These collective actions raise poignant political revelations about the potential biases, assumptions and attitudes of the audience. It’s up to each individual whether they follow the instructions, but someone must for the play to progress.
Inspired by Adam Curtis’ documentary 'can’t get you out of my head', this piece is influenced by instruction based participatory theatre, like work.txt by Nathan Ellis, An Oak Tree by Tim Crouch and A Citizen's Assembly by Andy Smith.
"Our children live in the most deprived ward in London and their parents cannot afford to pay for the classes and activities many more privileged children enjoy after school and at the weekends. A free-to-access youth group run by a local theatre in a professional setting is an incredible opportunity."
Local school teacher
