pic credit Lidia Crisafulli
THREE STARS
THE internet can be a
scary place. It can be used to spy on someone or an organisation, it
can become an obsession and it can hide those who use it to harm
others.
Darknet, a play which
is a collaboration between Rose Lewenstein and Russell Bender, and
now on at the Southwark Playhouse, shines a light on the shady
dealings that go on online.
It navigates through
the world of data transparency and the uncharted deep web, uncovering
the things we choose to share online and the places in which we can
hide.
It is set in South
London at some point in the future. It features a variety of
characters whose lives intermingle - we have schoolgirl Kyla who goes
to Jamie to get help in the form of methadone for her drug addicted
mother. Then there is Allen, who works for Octopus Inc, a somewhat
sinister and shady internet giant that pretty much controls society
and allows users to exchange personal data for currency. He in turn
is trying to persuade cyber hacker Gary to join the company rather
than serve out his sentence for hacking in jail.
It is an interesting
piece, exploring fascinating themes and full of characters who find
themselves at the mercy of the web and who get drawn into it and
ultimately get trapped.
As such it is dark,
murky, creepy and at times sinister and disturbing, although there is
also plenty of humour that runs through it and the use of iPads and
iPods is a clever and neat touch.
However there are
moments when it doesn't work, in particular the scene changes. That
said it is very well acted, particularly Ella McLoughlin as Kyla and
Gyuri Sarossy who is suitably creepy as the crooked Allen.
Darknet is on at the
Southwark Playhouse, Newington Causeway until May 7. Visit
http://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/
for full listings.
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