PIPELINE Theatre’s Spillkin (a love story) visits Helmsley Arts Centre this week, following huge success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015.
Featuring a state-of-the-art robot as a cast member, the play is the story of a woman with Alzheimers living with a robot companion.
A deeply touching exploration of love, it premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe to outstanding critical and audience response, and was nominated for the prestigious Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award.
It’s the 1970s. Sally likes Debbie Harry, Raymond likes making robots; they’re an unlikely pair. Fifty years later, after a long, childless and sometimes bumpy marriage, Sally has Alzheimers. Before Raymond died he created a robot, uploaded with his memories, to keep her company.
It’s the ultimate love letter from beyond the grave: an endlessly patient memory-jogger and singing partner. But as Sally’s mind fades, will the robot be more of a comfort or a threat? Moving and funny, Spillikin poses big questions about love, death, and technology.
To create Spillikin, Pipeline Theatre collaborated with Engineered Arts, a leading Penryn-based robotics company, to bring one of their world-renowned "RoboThespians" to the stage.
Will Jackson, managing director of Engineered Arts, said: “I’ve spent a decade designing a piano – now I want someone to write the music.”
Artistic director and designer for Pipeline, Alan Munden, who has personal experience of Alzheimers, added: “Making work about what you know or desire to better understand, I think lends it integrity. My mother has Alzheimers. I am frightened when I try to imagine her experience, but intrigued and excited to manifest it on stage, and wish I had the patience of a robot.”
Spillkin will be performed by Helmsley Arts Centre on Friday, at 7.30pm. Tickets are £13 (under 18s £6.50). To book, go to helmsleyarts.co.uk
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