“We live
in a time of magic. A time of wonder.” A time of connectedness and loneliness.
The use of multimedia is an integral element of the show and effectively transports us out of our world and into the world
Pinky is lonely until she creates life – a cyber-presence she calls Penelope and endows with all the physical attributes she wishes she had – because through Penelope, perfection is not merely something to aspire to, but something attainable.
This initially reminded me of WS Gilbert’s Pygmalion and Galatea and while I don’t think it was a reference point, and the reasons behind Penelope’s creation are different, there is a similar statement being made about a lonely creator and their responsibility for what they have brought to life.
Penelope functions as an imaginary friend and joins Pinky in narrating the story – although not always in the nicest way, forcing Pinky to mute or shut down the program. She also offers Pinky an escape from the real world: a world Pinky often feels disconnected from but which she feels she has been called upon to save. An incomplete message from the year 2029, needing her help… but is it real or imagined? There is a real world out there – and even a real relationship for Pinky, depending on the choices she will make.
Both performers are engaging and believable. The use of multimedia is an integral element of the show and effectively transports us out of our world and into the world. Pinky has created for herself. The result is an engrossing mediation on what it means to be human in a world where digital alternatives are on offer.
