In the future, Neil (Mike Brown) is in mourning for his girlfriend, Megan, killed when a driverless car, steered by artificial intelligence, made a judgement call and knocked her down. In an effort to come to terms with his grief, Neil joins a virtual chatroom where he encounters Annie (Alyssa Muego) who resembles, and seems to know a lot about, Megan.
Glitch, written and directed by Jack Jackman, is short play full of ideas. All of them are intriguing but not all of them are new. William Gibson has explored the concept of virtual existence being as valid as physical life and Douglas Adams originated artificial lifeforms who are as sensitive and touchy as human beings.
The issue with Glitch, however, is not a shortage of ideas but of focus. As director, Jackman imaginatively visualises a digital chatroom as a sterile white space. However, he does not establish a focus for the play which, thus, becomes a list of ideas that do not lead to a satisfactory conclusion. Rather than a drama, Glitch might work better as a comedy—a format more suited to ideas being set out in quick, short lines.