Ex Machina

Legendary director, playwright and ‘visual wizard’ (New York Times), Robert Lepage returns to Edinburgh to perform the European premiere of his new work.

While Lepage continues to pioneer the use of technology, his work is imbued with an intimacy and humanity that few can match. 887 is a riveting foray into the world of memory, exploring how personal recollections are reflected in collective consciousness. Lepage recalls his own experience as a French-speaking child during the October Crisis of 1970, when violent action by the Front de libération du Québec provoked the invocation of the War Measures Act, bringing troops onto the streets of the province. Years later, in an era of unlimited digital capture and storage he must examine the validity and nature of his memories and the very purpose of theatre, an art based on the act of remembering.

Robert Lepage is one of the most influential artists working in today’s theatre. His unclassifiable career has ranged from epic stagings for the Metropolitan Opera and Cirque du Soleil, to deeply personal solo shows such as The Far Side of the Moon and major ensemble works such as The Seven Streams of the River Ota. He has directed many films including the acclaimed Le Polygraphe and starred in Denys Arcand’s Jésus de Montréal.