Alexa, Turn The Lights On

If ever there was a year for theatre to explore the intimate conversations of a young man and his AI technology, 2020 is top of the list.

Originally scheduled to premiere in March, but postponed due to the nationwide lockdown, Alexa,Turn The Lights On - a story of humanity vs technology - featured in Toowoomba’s annual Curious Arts Festival over the weekend.

Self-professed Luddite Jacob Watton starred alongside Amazon Alexa technology and humorously pontificated about modern technology that has “taken over his house”.

Reclining in an armchair alongside Alexa, with the audience distributed around him on chairs and stools, Jacob created a relaxed and interactive performance that is bite-sized, intimate theatre at its best.

Under his command Alexa theatrically adjusted the lighting, provided unexpected and often bizarre information, and responded cheekily to requests, which made for an extremely enjoyable experience.

At one point several audience members were called to the stage to interact with Alexa, a laugh-out-loud scene which was fun but also mildly frustrating, further illustrating the opinion that one must have the patience of Job when dealing with Alexa.

The unpredictable nature of voice-activated technology brings to mind the old adage, never work with children or animals, and will inevitably make things go wrong or at least, be “unique” – a disclaimer Jacob offered at the beginning of the show.

All went well until one rather poignant moment when Alexa should have dimmed the lights and failed at first attempt, shattering the atmosphere he had created.

Nevertheless, Jacob kept his cool and used his natural charm, confidence and physical comedy to keep the audience engaged and the show moving forward. 
Alexa, Turn The Lights On has great potential to be developed further, and I look forward to seeing where Jacob takes this show - and Alexa - in the future.

Madeleine Tiller