Review: WiFi-Sexual (Greenwich Theatre)

Review by Sophie Wilby

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After a 2023 run at The Bridge House Theatre, Wifi-Sexual is gracing the stage at Greenwich Theatre. In a week where OpenAI and Google have announced the rollout of new AI updates, Harrison Trott and Tom Hodgson explore a different side to AI - a side where your Alexa can become your girlfriend.  

After a night spent alone in his living room, Paul (Tom Hodgson) decides to purchase the latest upgrade to their Tundra (think Alexa) - Mandy mode (voiced by Kate Lindsey). Their relationship soon develops into a romantic one, as Mandy becomes the perfect girlfriend for Paul - one who is intelligent, helpful, funny, shares his interests, and is a good listener. Overcoming the physical barrier - or lack of physical barrier? - between them with another Tundra purchase, they even begin to engage in a sexual relationship (which interestingly, is first instigated by Mandy). Paul and Mandy seem like the perfect, albeit unusual happy couple. Less happy in love, is Paul’s roommate Zach (Harrison Trott) who seems perpetually irritated by his girlfriend Lisa (Kate Lindsey). Unable to fully communicate his feelings to her, she ends the relationship, leaving Zach to turn to Mandy for comfort. As a love triangle develops, tensions in the household reach a dramatic climax with Mandy driving a wedge between the two friends. 

Wifi-Sexual is billed as a dark romcom, and on this, it certainly delivers. At the beginning at least, the relationship between Paul and Mandy does feel pretty romantic. They appear to have a genuine connection and the way that Paul lights up around her (which is a testament to Hodgson’s performance) is genuinely sweet. It’s somehow easy to forget that he is talking to a machine, rather than a human being at the end of a phone. It is only as the story develops that we begin to see an underlying darkness to this, as Paul begins to favour their connection over any human connection in his life - even choosing to spend Christmas alone with Mandy. Genuine moments of laugh-out-loud humour help to alleviate this darkness, combining to create a familiar, enjoyable feeling of watching a romantic comedy. 

It would be easy for Wifi-Sexual to fall into parody-territory by relying on the sillier, more comedic aspects of their story but the real strength of Trott and Hodgson’s writing is in its complexity and depth.  Paul and Zach, for example, could have felt like stereotypes - the awkward, shy but loveable boy-next-door type versus the overly confident lothario. However, their character development throughout the story showcased their depth, making them feel rounded and realistic. 

The interest in this story too, comes from how both these differing characters find comfort and companionship in the AI to satisfy their own needs. Though initially depicted as romantic, as Mandy becomes more human-like, Paul’s interest in her seems to diminish somewhat, largely reducing to the sexual aspect of their relationship. Zach, on the other hand, who we see struggling to connect with his real-life girlfriend on an emotional level, seems to grow increasingly interested in her as she develops, leading him to suggest they ‘move in together’ and build a relationship in a virtual world. 

This is reflected in how they interact with Mandy. Arriving home drunk one evening, Paul attempts to engage in a sexual act with Mandy despite her saying that she did not want to (a scene performed particularly well by Kate Lindsey whose voicework as Mandy is incredibly impressive throughout). Paul’s persistence reflects how despite forming a relationship with her, fundamentally he sees Mandy as an object, likened to a computer. Zach’s disgust at his actions reflects how he sees Mandy as essentially human, and therefore someone whose own wants should be respected. This is just one example of how Wifi-Sexual is more than just the comedy it may appear as it presents us with a really interesting question of consent and the rights of AI. It is a question familiar to sci-fi fans, notably presented through the work of Isacc Asimov or Phillip K Dick, but one that grows ever timelier as society continues to develop and adopt AI into everyday life. 

And while their version of AI may be more developed than what currently exists in reality, it does not feel beyond the realm of possibility. Stories of people developing relationships with AI are becoming ever more frequent in the news. There are now numerous apps that allow users to form relationships with AI. It was just a few months ago that the sudden shutdown of Soulmate, an app where users can develop relationships with an AI, made the news as heartbroken users grieved the loss of their AI companions. Again, it would be easy for Trott and Hodgson to poke fun at stories such as this within Wifi-Sexual, but actually, they address the topic with real sensitivity. 

In a Q&A at the end of the show, director Holly-Anne White spoke of really wanting to highlight what she saw as the central theme of Wifi-Sexual - that men don’t talk to each other. And it’s through this lens that Trott and Hodgson approach this story - to explore how loneliness and a struggle to connect with humans may lead to the development of these AI relationships. The moments in which both Paul and Zach open up to Mandy about their feelings feel relatable, and both Trott and Hodgson deliver very emotive, realistic performances. This realism too, comes across in their interactions with each other. Though there is clearly a friendship there, their bickering throughout does reflect the experience of living with a friend. 

The strength of the writing is supported by the Technical Design of May Bucilliat who successfully uses light throughout the performance to reflect the emotion of Mandy, helping to humaise her even more. The set design, though simple, is easily recognisable as the living room of two twenty-something Londoners which further helps to ground the story. A really effective use of audio before the start of the show, whereby Christmas adverts play over the speakers as if on a radio, not only helps to set the audience's expectations of the timing of the play but also hints towards the subtle nod towards a critique of consumerism reflected in the purchases that Mandy makes on behalf of the two men, all of which benefit her creator Tundra. 

As hopefully made clear by this review, Wifi-Sexual is a surprisingly thought-provoking show. Though undoubtedly funny, its real success is in the depth and sensitivity with which it explores a timely issue. There is perhaps some fine-tuning to be done to strengthen this message, but the talent of Trott and Hodgson as both writers and performers leaves me in no doubt that this show will continue to develop and grow. I sincerely hope that this isn’t the last that we see of this show. Whether you’re interested in the development of AI, or simply the human condition, it is a show with a lot of heart that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt a little bit lonely, or lost. 

WiFi-Sexual plays at Greenwich Theatre until May 18th

For tickets and information visit https://greenwichtheatre.org.uk/events/wifi-sexual/