An original – and sinister – exploration of the dangers of misinformation
Each year since 1995, the National Theatre’s Connections Festival has commissioned new plays for performance by youth theatre groups across the country. 13-19 year olds are inextricably involved at every stage of the process – from workshopping with the writers to running tech at the performance – which promises stories hyper-relevant to British teenagers and rarely seen on the stage. This year’s iteration involves over 6000 young people across 33 theatres, tackling issues such as wellbeing, introversion, the desirability of success, and anxiety.
Titas Halder’s Replica is a fresh, urgent take on the power of misinformation, told through the story of a school trip gone wrong. Upon returning from an archaeological excavation site, rumours swirl that one classmate has been replaced by a “thing” whilst exploring its caves. The gossip spirals, and before they know it this group of schoolchildren are trying to work out how they can test if one of their peers is even human. Can they intimidate him into “glitching”? Can he demonstrate genuine creativity?
It’s novel to see science-fiction at the theatre, especially one staged like a gothic horror. Replica is at its strongest when building this sinister atmosphere: an otherworldly rendition of Radiohead’s Creep standing out as particularly effective, bathed in red light and writhing bodies. Although the writing can be a little on-the-nose with its theme – both flat earth and fake news get explicit mentions – the script maintains a good mix of tension and humour which sees the story unfold at a satisfying pace.
This being youth theatre, there are some areas to develop in the performances: voice projection could be more effective, some of the ‘bigger’ emotions aren’t fully bought into, and a scene which should be quite violent is shied away from in the moment. But this is youth theatre dialled up to an 11. Sound and lighting work effectively to build a menacing atmosphere, and the staging is simple yet effective, with LED doorways shifting around the stage.
Sir Robert Pattinson Academy supplies a cast who are convincing in their performances. The two lead characters – Sam, the boy who has been replaced, and Cora, the girl he became friends with on the trip – are compelling. They are given ample opportunity to show off their skill in a tight script, bouncing off one another with great intensity, and building suspense through ominous monologues.
This reminds us that whilst the Connections Festival is important for developing the next generation of thespians, what makes it really exciting is its urgent and innovative writing. In Replica, we have a genuinely sinister sci-fi-cum-horror story, with its finger on the pulse of 21st century concerns.
The Connections Festival runs each year across the country. Applications to take part in 2025 are currently open.
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