In an age dominated by artificial intelligence and rapid technological change, COPYCAT arrives at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with urgent questions about creativity, identity and the future of humanity. Written and performed by Fringe First winner Joe Sellman-Leava, this bold new work blends biting commentary with inventive theatricality.
Presented by Worklight Theatre, the show explores imitation as both a creative tool and a societal force. Through uncanny impressions of tech leaders, teachers and public figures, Sellman-Leava examines how originality evolves and how technological disruption is reshaping not only industries but democracy itself.
Drawing on personal experiences of AI’s growing influence on the arts, COPYCAT connects the uncertainty faced by creatives to wider global shifts. Set partly in a mid-2000s classroom on the brink of the social media boom, the production captures a pivotal moment of change, balancing optimism with apprehension about the future.
Combining audience interaction with playful theatrical techniques inspired by drama exercises, the show questions whether AI represents progress or peril. It also confronts the uneasy relationship between Big Tech and political power, providing a provocative lens on the challenges facing modern society.
Sellman-Leava comments, “Tech optimists say AI will revolutionise healthcare, solve climate change, and free us from work. But many of us are already seeing it threaten jobs, disrupt society, and strain democracy. Copycat is my attempt to make sense of that.”
COPYCAT runs at Pleasance Dome (Jack Dome) from 5 – 31 August at 16:10. Tickets are on sale here
