Comic Potential
This clever comedy is set in a (remarkably relatable) future where AI and androids are set to replace humans. A community TV studio that produces soap operas, using androids as actors, is one day changed when one of the “actoids” is found to have a sense of humour and can think independently of its programming. The results are very funny, but at the same time giving us something to think about. A talented cast and a terrific script by Alan Ayckbourn, with direction by Greg Elliott.
Reviews
By David Smith, Theatre Association of South Australia
"Blackwood Players are a long-standing and valued member of Adelaide’s community theatre scene. This production of Alan Ayckbourn’s Comic Potential begins a decidedly new direction for the company and they have stepped out with purpose and drive. With the experienced Greg Elliott as director, the cast has realised the playwright’s exploration of where the intrusion of AI could be leading us. It largely treats the topic with light humour but there is an underlying sense of warning."
Read the full review on the TASA website, here.
By Larry Waller, Theatre Association of South Australia
"The Blackwood Players’ latest production brings Alan Ayckbourn’s Comic Potential to life breathing air into a witty, satirical script that feels as fresh today as when it was first penned in 1998. Set in a near-future television studio where android actors—“actoids”—have replaced their human counterparts, the play explores the blurred lines between artificial intelligence (AI), human emotion, and the essence of comedy itself. The fine line of what’s funny to one is not necessarily amusing for another."
Read the full review here.
Our cast
Jacie Triplethree - Amber Faull
Adam Trainsmith - Adam Schultz
Chandler - Damien White
Prim Spring - Rebecca Gardner
Trudi Floote, Girl in Dress Shop - Eleanor - Mae Lawson
Carla Pepperbloom - Erin McAllister
Mother, Prostitute, Boutique Assistant, Farmer's Wife - Stephanie Russell
Alex, Hotel Desk Clerk, Waiter 1 - Johnathon Montgomery
Marmion, Waiter 2 - Geoff Hastwell
Doctor, Man in Dress Shop, Farmer, Turkey - Matthew Chant
Lester Trainsmith - Philip Lineton
Listen to Greg Elliott, Assistant Director Brooke DuBois, tech leader and Blackwood Players life member Tim Gladdis, and lead actor Amber Faull discuss Comic Potential in TASA's For the Love of Theatre podcast, hosted by Mark Wickett here.
Our director
Comic Potential is directed by returning Director and newly elected Blackwood Players President, Greg Elliott, who previously directed Hidden Agenda and Female Transport for Blackwood Players in the 1990s.
Hidden Agenda: “Greg Elliott has directed the exchanges so naturally, the malapropisms, sexisms, and misinformation so understated you feel like adding your voice from the intimate auditorium.” - Tim Lloyd, The Advertiser
Female Transport: “Greg Elliott’s production for Blackwood Players is a triumph. He directs an excellent, even-handed ensemble with flair and sensitivity.” - Peter Goers, The Advertiser
The Hawthorndene local was a Drama teacher of 40 years and has directed productions for schools, universities, amateur groups and professional theatre companies.
