Soapboxed

Three veteran actors, fired from a fading Australian soap opera, discover malevolent forces at play. They want to fight, for themselves and their industry. But why are they feeling so overwhelmed? Why is it getting so hot? And who keeps turning out the lights? Riotously funny and deeply moving, Soapboxed is a soap opera trapped in a reality show made for the theatre about the future of humanity in a world designed by the broligarchy. Expect laughter, tears, romance, a race against the clock… and the occasional blackout (just like the best soaps).

Soapboxed is about the state of the Arts and artists, and how technology, particularly AI, is impacting them. These emerging, omnipresent technologies are impacting industries everywhere, and they are doing so at the expense of the planet. As the full environmental impact of data centres on communities and resources is revealed AI is emerging as the central antagonist in the fight to secure a liveable future. The best chance we have to fight it is by leaning in to our most human instincts. The place where those instincts are keenest, where lies the most power to engage and inspire people to act… is the Arts. So take your seats, switch off your phones, and get ready to fight!

WRITER: Megan Herbert

DIRECTOR: Ryan Moloney

PERFORMERS: Ryan Moloney, Lucinda Cowden

Hero Image Photographer: Darren Gill