Spilikin

It’s the ’70s. Sally likes Debbie Harry, Raymond likes making robots; they’re an unlikely pair.

Fifty years later, after a long, childless and sometimes bumpy marriage, Sally has Alzheimers. Before Raymond died he created a robot, uploaded with his memories, to keep her company.

It’s the ultimate love letter from beyond the grave: an endlessly patient memory-jogger and singing partner, it gives order to her confusion, and becomes a new partner in the oddest of odd-couple romances. But as Sally’s mind fades, will the robot be more of a comfort or a threat? Spillikin will make you laugh, cry, and ponder big questions of love, death, and technology.

Pipeline Theatre’s story of a woman with Alzheimers living with a robot companion is not only a deeply touching exploration of love, but it stars an amazing state-of-the-art robot as a full cast member. It premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe last year to rave reviews and was nominated for the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award.