Alex Oates’ Silk Road, the first play to be funded by cryptocurrency Bitcoin, returns after a triumphant Edinburgh Fringe Festival with its London premiere, opening at VAULT Festival 2018, before touring to Live Theatre, Newcastle in February.
“How is it delivered? That’s the best bit! Royal Mail. Postman Pat brings your smack to your door with a smile and his black and white cat is none the wiser”
Bruce (Josh Barrow) is nineteen, unemployed and living with his Nan. A struggling young Geordie tech-head, he’s the unlikeliest international criminal mastermind you can imagine. But sucked into an underworld dark web of new-age pirates, local gangsters and tea-cosies, it isn’t long before Bruce discovers how easy it is to buy narcotics online.
Following a call-out on the real Silk Road forums for contributions to the original production’s crowdfunding campaign, an anonymous donor donated two bitcoin. Bitcoin value has since gone up, and plummeted, and gone up again. Two bitcoin are currently worth $29,078 (about £21,405), and playwright Alex Oates will now be funding the entire production with cryptocurrency.
Shrapnel Theatre returns to VAULT Festival following two smash-hit years with Underground and The Litterati, with the former transferring to Brits off-Broadway at 59E59 Theaters in June 2017.
Silk Road is at VAULT Festival 24th – 28th January 2018.
