HAYWIRE: The Dark Side of New Technology at Drayton Arms Theatre

This multigenre collection of short plays explores what happens when new innovations outpace human empathy, intelligence and agency. Across absurd comedy, psychological horror, and intimate grief, the collection interrogates humanity’s growing reliance on advanced systems designed to optimise, predict, replicate, and comfort. Meandering through the depths of futuristic underground postal labyrinths to the genetic blueprints of a grieving father’s ancestors, this collection presents a harrowing and shocking insight into the dark side of technology, asking: how far will technology take humanity before we’re left behind in its shadow? Features: Beyond the Grave (drama), Wonderful (thriller), Simon (comedy), and PostMax 6000 (comedy).

Beyond the Grave: A mysterious phone is delivered. When it rings, Reece answers it and finds his deceased father on the other end. Overwhelmed to hear his voice again and to learn that there is a way to bring him back to life, Reece starts to wonder if the rules of death are better left unbroken…

Wonderful: Ben signs up for a research programme for a new-age medical device. It can detect hereditary illness and diseases that he could develop…but it also lets him know, and hear, exactly how his ancestors died. As detections become increasingly intense, Ben learns that knowledge about death is better left untold — especially when it comes to children.

Simon: Simon has an all-inclusive getaway booked and paid for by his work. The location is perfect, the hotel is perfect, Simon is perfect. And so is Simon — the other Simon. And the other Simon. Wait, how many Simons are there?! Who’s the real Simon?!

PostMax 6000: The PostMax 6000 is invented! A vast underground postal system capable of delivering hundreds of letters across the country per second! But what’s this?! It’s just sucked Kinkelbert George inside! Will he be delivered to freedom? Or lost in postal purgatory?