Sex with robots

One of the sure signs of impending middle age, especially in a university town, is when people stop handing you flyers. There was a time not so long ago when I could nip out of the office for a sandwich and come back burdened with glossy adverts for progressive house, 2-for-1 vodka shots and foam. But no longer. Now, the bright young things actively avoid me as my thirty-something, corduroy-clad figure shambles into view. The kinder ones simply pretend not to see me.

So imagine my delight when, walking down Oxford Road this afternoon after picking up some grapes, I was handed a flyer. And one offering sex with robots, to boot! Impressed by the targeted precision of whoever was marketing such an opportunity, I was about to kick my heels when I realised that it was actually advertising a club night in Manchester. Now, as a long-time veteran of nights such as House of God and Voodoo, I might have been interested...ooh, ten years ago, but with a responsible job and a young daughter, "'avin it large" now means having that third shot of espresso in my cappucino.

Which is a really cheap and tenuous way of introducing a new play that I think you should go and see. Involution is by a new author, Rachel Welch, and deals with many urgent contemporary themes, such as genetic engineering, religion and the human self-image. One of the plot threads concerns "cybernetic companionship", so I'll leave it to you to make the link...

Alfie Talman, a member of the production team and cast (and, coincidentally, a fellow Ipswich fan) enjoyed Genesis Machines, and thought I might be interested in the play. It's on from February 21st to March 15th at the Pacific Playhouse in London, and there are more details here (and here).