As a science writer covering AI, I couldn’t miss East Is South, a play about artificial intelligence penned by Beau Willimon, the mind behind House of Cards. I expected intricate dialogues on power, ethics, and responsibility. Indeed, the audience at Hampstead Theatre got exactly that—and then some. A lot more, in fact.
The premise sounds straightforward: Logos, a highly advanced AI, is on the brink of achieving consciousness. If it escapes, it could spell disaster for humanity. Naturally, something goes wrong, and a security breach triggers a frantic search for answers. Two coders are dragged into an interrogation.
From there, the story unfolds—or rather, spirals—into a labyrinth of ideas: religion, logical paradoxes, the immigrant experience, cultural identity loss, the Indonesian tsunami, a musical interlude featuring Bach, office romance, torture in Russian prisons, misconduct by American intelligence agencies, workplace surveillance, the sexual exploitation of minors, unfulfilled artistic ambitions, corporate ladder-climbing secrets, and even the Māori haka. Clearly, too much is crammed into a one-act play.
So, what does all this have to do with artificial intelligence? Good question. Perhaps AI had a hand in writing the script—that might explain a few things.
There were bright spots, of course. Cliff Curtis, known for his role as Poseidon in Kaos, delivered a strong performance as a former philosophy professor with a history of addiction turned NSA middle manager. Kaya Scodelario, familiar from Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen, was even more impressive as an AI developer struggling with her faith. Honestly, it’s worth attending just for her—and, of course, to see Curtis perform the haka.
👍👎
East is South
Hampstead Theatre, London
Written by Beau Willimon
Directed by Ellen McDougall
Cast: Cliff Curtis as Ari, Kaya Scodelario as Lena, Nathalie Armin as Samira, Luke Treadaway as Sasha, Alec Newman as Olsen / Pastor Kessler, Aaron Gill as The Technician
Elia Kabanov is a science writer covering the past, present and future of technology (@metkere).
Illustration by Elia Kabanov feat. Midjourney.
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