Signal to Noise, a Forced Entertainment production at the Southbank Centre, is an ambitious and energetic performance, but one that left a feeling of overwhelm and frustration due to its lack of coherence. It is a play that explores the breakdown of communication through a mix of fragmented speech, AI voices, and disjointed performances. Six performers lip-sync AI-generated dialogue, creating an eerie blend of human and machine, while tackling themes of reality, pretence, and authenticity.
The performers, in particular Seke Chimutengwende and Claire Marshall, certainly brought an immense amount of energy and character to the stage, and their commitment to the performance was appreciated by the audience. Their physicality and versatility were undeniable, as they continuously shifted between personas and situations. However, this abundance of energy often felt misplaced in a show that didn’t seem to have a clear direction. The lack of a discernible plot meant that the piece became repetitive, and after a while, it felt more like a workshop exercise than a cohesive performance. While the jokes landed well initially, they quickly lost their impact as they were repeated to the point of exhaustion.
One interesting element was director Tim Etchells’ decision to incorporate a variety of costume changes, which cleverly reflected the shifting identities of the AI voices at the heart of the production. This concept of identity, or the lack of, was visually well represented through the frequent changes in both costumes and set pieces. However, the constant shifting made it difficult to latch onto anything concrete, leaving the audience craving some sort of narrative through line to anchor the performance.
The prop and set changes were impressive and helped highlight the variety of environments being presented, but again, it felt like the production was missing a core thread to tie everything together. At one point, when the actors all sat at the front of the stage, the audience anticipated some form of meaningful dialogue or resolution—but instead, it felt random, unfinished, and muddled.
Perhaps this sense of disorientation was Etchells’ intention, but it didn’t quite land. The performance lacked something that could have grounded it amidst the chaos—something to connect the dots and give the audience a clearer sense of purpose. While Signal to Noise had strong individual moments and characterisations within each AI voice the audience were met with, however, its overall execution left a sense of wanting more structure and cohesion.
Forced Entertainment’s 40th anniversary season continues at the Southbank Centre with Go On Like This on Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 October; at The Place with Shown & Told from Thursday 31 October – Saturday 2 November; and at Battersea Arts Centre with L’Addition from Tuesday 5 November – Saturday 16 November, and If All Else Fails from Tuesday 19 November – Saturday 23 November.
