In Edinburgh as members of Group 64, the cast of
The Age of (Distr)action isn’t polished but neither is it pretentious, rather it is fifty minutes of partly informative fun
The Age of (Distr)action isn’t polished but neither is it pretentious, rather it is fifty minutes of partly informative fun. It starts with an older generation’s recorded comments criticising the youth of today for being glued to their screens, attached to their headphones in a frenzy of messaging madness that leaves them socially inept when meeting people in the flesh. The remainder of the show attempts to give a more balanced view and point to the many merits of the technological age, starting with an amusing overview of the history of telecommunications.
As the scenes progress there is some delightfully dreadful humour, a reinvention of two of Shakespeare’s most famous scenes, a pitch to Dragons’ Den and a ‘Game of Phones’ all interspersed with songs and expressions of love for the mobile messenger. There are also persistent reminders of times the phone has saved lives and helped many people in dire circumstances. The ensemble adopts a laidback, audience-friendly style of performance. Scenes rapidly follow each other and, with no set taking up room, good use is made of the floorspace.
The Age of (Distr)action is an uplifting, light-hearted, and comical piece. It also highlights the contribution such companies make to the lives of young people and that drama can be recreational. There is pleasure to be had in simply seeing so many young people enjoying themselves and in so doing bring joy to others.
