Review: Uncanny Valley

Few technologies are as controversial as artificial intelligence. Some laud it as a major breakthrough in modern science, changing the course of human history for the better. Others may be repulsed by it, viewing it as unnatural and cruel and akin to playing God. Whatever your view on the subject, you’re going to want to see Uncanny Valley, a brilliant, unnerving, and surprisingly moving play about the wonders and pitfalls of artificial intelligence. We first meet Julian (Alex Podulke) as a mere bust, head and torso, not much else. He doesn’t speak at first, and when he does, it is robotic. As the play progresses, he becomes more fully formed, gaining an arm, then another, until he finally receives his ultimate prize: his legs. His architect is Claire (Barbara Kingsley), part of the team of groundbreaking neuroscientists that created this new technology of artificial consciousness. She is teaching Julian how to be human. He is like a child in his discoveries, but his intelligence is highly advanced.