We sat down for an exclusive interview with Sophie Smyth whose show The Subplot: A Hyperfixation on the Titan Submersible comes to Edinburgh Fringe.
This show runs at Edinburgh Fringe at Summerhall – Tickets here
IN CONVERSATION WITH: Sophie Smyth
Why do you think people cared about the submersible implosion that ‘Subplot’ is inspired by?
The whole story is stranger than fiction – the name OceanGate; the vessel’s sperm-like shape; the CEO’s relation to actual Titanic passengers; the cost of a seat onboard ($250,000 – the inflation-adjusted cost of a first-class ticket on Titanic); the step-son attending the blink-182 concert while they were still missing (I would have done the same tbh); the carbon fibre hull material (allegedly) being expired Boeing offcuts; the Logitech controller – I could go on!! For me, I don’t know how to quantify my fascination succinctly. I still think about it every single day, talk about it with anyone that will listen, and I often dream about it. I don’t think I will ever find end to the questions it’s raised in me or my quest to know everything about it.
What drew you to making ‘Subplot’ a multimedia, ‘immersive’ piece?
Mostly for selfish reasons. I spend a lot of time imagining what it might have been like on that sub, so attempting to recreate a bit of that experience is honestly my dream come true.
What might the legacy of the submersible implosion be?
Don’t fuck with the deep sea.
Why is it important to connect events like the implosion with the personal reactions people distant from the events might have had?
Well, if you’re referring to me, I’d like it on the record that I am personally two degrees of separation away from the events now (but no spoilers, you’ll have to see the show to find out more!!). I genuinely want to hear every single person on earth’s perspective on this sub – distant or not – because I think sharing, connecting, and finding our commonality is directly linked to our empathy and understanding of each other.
Do you think that social media and the digital age have increased or decreased our capacity for empathy and connecting with people or events we don’t have any personal connection to in the ‘real world’?
Unfortunately, I think it’s decreased our capacity; stories are swipe-able, facts are debatable, hot dates are disposable, and it’s all memefied. And if you’re privileged enough, you can turn the news off and look away. It’s really easy – almost as if by design – to forget your humanity inside the digital vortex. Even if we think we’re removed or separate from so much that happens outside our orbit, we’re not – we’re all connected because we’re all human.
What do you think the implosion, the events leading up to it, and any consequences of those events can reveal about the world we live in?
I think it’s a perfect encapsulation of our current climate: how capitalism prioritises profits over people; the pressure of American patriotism and legacy; the pervasiveness of the patriarchy in enabling fascists; our collective desensitisation to tragedy; and the cost of unchecked ego. There are now two wreckages side by side at the bottom of the North Atlantic for exactly the same reason: humans belief in our own hubris.