LIFELONG to Make Edinburgh Fringe World Premiere

An Edinburgh Fringe world premiere, Lifelong takes up the theme at a critical moment, when new technologies are edging us towards the possibility of massively extended lives - but probably only for the rich and powerful. It is a collaboration between Glasgow-based Irish playwright Lynda Radley, Pepperdine Scotland from the USA and Scottish production company Scissor Kick. Previews 5-6 Aug. 7-17 Aug main run at Studio 2, Assembly George Square Studios, EH8 9LH (Venue 17).

The drama focusses on the privileged residents of a special facility who receive advanced medical treatments and all aspects of their lives are curated by AIs to ensure they remain in their prime for centuries. Despite their advantages, everything they have is at the whim of powerful business interests.

Radley's work places a question mark over whether they are truly living or, like the Lotus Eaters of Homer's Odyssey, simply existing in a vacuous dream. The cast, students from the Department of Theatre at California's Pepperdine University, are part of a generation whose lives are being transformed by advances in AI, technology and medicine.

Several have spoken about the immense resonance Lifelong has for them.

Actor Hailey Lee, a 21-year-old theatre and screen arts student, said: 'We live in a time where the power of technology has increased so much, and will continue to grow. It's scary to think what will become of the world.

'I'm someone who values family and relationships and although I'd love to be with them forever, I know I should cherish our together moments while they last.

'To see people today wanting to immortalise themselves and essentially 'freeze' themselves in the present moment is frightening.

'Lifelong is a warning. If you live forever, are you truly living? The real value of life is in the unique experiences we have each day, so go out and really live in the world while you can!'

Lee's insight is urgent because it is about new realities that are thundering towards us, but echo some of the most ancient recorded human wisdom.

Around 4,000 years ago, long before Homer, the Mesopotamian writers of the oldest surviving epic tale had the king Gilgamesh set off to find the secret of eternal life. He failed, returning home with the realisation that we have to accept human limitations and it's what we do with life, and the legacy we leave, that endures.

Two-time Fringe First winner Radley says: 'Ever since humans first started writing stories there has been a fascination with the pursuit of endless youthful life - and a realisation that it could be a dangerous folly.

'But where once it was purely speculative it is now on track to become scientific reality. This raises immense questions about who has access to such vastly expensive treatments, how it will be controlled and whose interests it would serve.

'In a world where tyrants and billionaires control the vast majority of wealth and power, imagine throwing centuries of extra life into the mix. The idea of perpetual domination by our current crop of leaders, tech bros and oligarchs is truly chilling.'

AI is playing a fundamental role in longevity medicine. One area of research has been into the reprogramming of bodily cells to make them 'younger'.

And it is not just the number of years we live, it's their quality. There is a shocking gap in healthy life expectancy. People in Scotland's most deprived areas experience up to 23.4 fewer years of healthy life for women and 20.8 fewer years for men.

Scenic designer Mak Burke, a theatre arts student aged 21, believes the potential future Radley depicts is uncomfortably plausible.

They said: 'As a young person, tech and AI have already heavily influenced my life and I can only imagine how much that will continue. Because of this, Lynda's play feels like the not-so-distant future.

'For as long as there has been money and social class, there has been class inequity, and Lifelong, deals with this theme.

'Even today we often see healthcare as a luxury, and with ever-advancing technologies and AI the disparities between classes could very well become as extreme as Lynda explores.'

Actor James Davis, aged 19, who is studying theatre and screen arts, adds: 'Lifelong is a show for our time. In a world where there's so much AI and technological advancement, it's almost impossible not rely on it.

'Many people rely on technology to live longer, and then there are people who want to replace or enhance parts of their body so they can last longer, yet there's never any thought about what you sacrifice morally to have a longer life.'

Lifelong, running from 5-17 August, is the second collaboration between Radley and Pepperdine Scotland. Previously The Interference, earned a Fringe First (Pepperdine Scotland's second) plus widespread critical acclaim.

Get Broadway News on WhatsApp

Receive the latest updates, breaking news, and exclusive coverage from Broadway directly in WhatsApp.

Need more Scotland Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...