On the main stage – Anthropology
Merril is one of Silicon Valley’s leading software engineers, but her life disintegrates when her younger sister Angie vanishes on her way home from college. A year later, when the police have long abandoned their search, Merril assembles all the digital material Angie has left behind and sets about building herself a digital simulation of her sister. The resultant ‘virtual Angie’ offers her some solace – until, that is, it starts to reveal new details about the real Angie’s disappearance.
San Francisco-based Lauren Gunderson is one of the world’s most produced playwrights. Author of over 20 plays, Lauren has received the Lanford Wilson Award at the Dramatists Guild Awards and two Steinberg/ATCA New Play Awards.
Anthropology is the twelfth play that Anna Ledwich has directed for Hampstead, where her work has ranged from Labyrinth to the Olivier nominated productions of Dry Powder and Four Minutes Twelve Seconds. 7 Sep to 14 Oct
Downstairs – Octopolis
Professor George Grey is a brilliant behavioural biologist who, alongside her recently deceased husband, became world-renowned for her pioneering research into octopus intelligence. Mainly the intelligence of one particular octopus, in fact: Frances, who still resides in a large, purpose-built tank in George’s campus accommodation.
Into this house of grief walks Harry, an ambitious anthropologist, despatched by the university with permission to test his breathtaking new theory on Frances. The nature of his assignment is shocking to George, and threatens to tear her world apart in more ways than one.
Marek Horn’s plays include Wild Swimming (Edinburgh Fringe and Bristol Old Vic) and Yellowfin (Southwark Playhouse). Octopolis is directed by Ed Madden and is his second collaboration with Marek. Ed’s credits include Yellowfin (Southwark Playhouse) and A Table Tennis Play (Edinburgh Fringe). 15 Sep to 28 Oct