Cyberpunk detective story

Directed by Christopher Carroll, I HAVE NO ENEMIES is an original piece of contemporary theatre starring a small ensemble of local actors.

Self described as a ‘cyberpunk detective story’ the two hour long play follows four hackers on a quest to unearth information on a seemingly unexpecting man who should have no reason to be concerned for his online data being breached.

Whilst there were comedic elements and jokes throughout the play, it delved deep into cyber security and how data is stored, making light of some melancholy themes and ideas. The play raised a few good points on how we are merciless to the internet, even when we think we easily switch it off.

That’s not the case – and this show sure let the audience know that.

Notably, there was a very impressive monologue right at the beginning of the play, setting up for what would become an interesting piece of theatre.

Told through the lens of the history of the internet, the performance gave an outlook on the evolution of life online and just how far we have come in terms of technology. There were plenty of film, music, and pop culture references strewn throughout the performance, keeping a clear balance of nostalgia and new ideas.

Are we in the ’90s?

Halting on mostly ’90s references, as that was when modern computers were becoming a household item, you could almost say that I Have No Enemies was set in the ’90s – except it wasn’t. The line between what was happening in the characters’ lives and what was happening in real life was blurred to the point of no return.

Characters talked to the audience throughout the show creating an atmosphere that was almost like a time machine as the audience was transported throughout historical dates relating to computers and technology. There were even parts of the show where you would ask yourself, ‘are they still acting?’.

The fact that you would be asking yourself this is a clear indicator of how good the acting actually is.

Not only was there action on the stage, but also behind them. The graphics projected onto the wall along with the numerous monitors around the stage added an extra element of interactivity within the play, working perfectly with the actors well executed choreography and movement around the stage.

Overall, I HAVE NO ENEMIES is one of those shows that really makes you think. You will definitely leave this play trying to remember what the last thing you googled was and whether it could land you on a government surveillance list.

Tickets, tickets, tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/i-have-no-enemies-2023