The Edinburgh Fringe is upon us and to get prepared for another Scottish summer Read About Stuff is running a ‘Five From The Fringe’ interview series, where creative teams answer five questions about their upcoming Festival shows.
In this interview, I chat to Counterpilot about Truthmachine.
Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?
Truthmachine is an interactive experience where one audience member gets hooked up to a working polygraph machine and interrogated while everyone else listens to their body’s physiological response through a shifting soundscape. It feels dangerous and thrilling, but you can trust us to keep you safe! Collectively we try to ascertain whether the subject is telling the truth – but throughout the show we also explore the history of truth, the science of the polygraph, and the hacks for how to cheat the machine…
What drew you to this specific story, and why does it belong at the Edinburgh Fringe?
Ten years ago, Oxford dictionary declared ‘post-truth’ to be the word of the year, heralding an era that would be defined by fake news, alternative facts, and inescapable conspiracy. We became fascinated by the idea of pursuing truth in a world that wanted to leave it behind. The result is a show that requires audiences who are both socially adventurous and intellectually curious – we can’t think of a better place to find those people than at Edinburgh Fringe.
What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?
When we first developed this work we had to subject each other to lie detector tests over and over, trying to get interesting reads by provoking each other into a physiological response. After a while we all became so immune to the questioning that we had to keep thinking of more outrageous ways of questioning and intimidating each other – it made for such a hostile work environment! The tests are always more interesting when a subject is new to it and not quite sure what to expect.
How does the design of your show (set, sound, or lighting) impact the presentation of your story?
The technical design of Truthmachine is really important because it gives us access to something small but real that’s happening in the room that we would never otherwise be able to notice. Throughout the show, you’re listening to fluctuations in data caused by a real person’s body through a shifting soundscape. When their heart beats faster, a light flashes in time with their pulse. The design serves to translate subtle live variances in data into effects that are both theatrical and intimate! It’s all very slick, but it’s more than just an aesthetic layer – sometimes the data IS the story.
If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
A lie detector test in front of strangers. Everything you need to know about the show is in the look on someone’s face when you threaten them with those words.
Truthmachine runs at C ARTS | C venues | C alto (Venue 40) from 7th – 30th August. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/truthmachine
