Asura: An Enlightenment Experiment theatre review – A quest without answers
A deliberately untheatrical meditation on AI, enlightenment and desire
Asura is a rambling solo work that considers ideas about AI and the quest for enlightenment, deliberately refusing any clear conclusions or performance trickery. Wayne Stewart clearly aims for an audience that isn’t expecting theatricality, rejecting performance both in the dramatic and social senses, preferring to offer a contemplative wander through his attempts at becoming enlightened.
His thoughts on the subject are not especially profound: there is an irony in trying to be better when enlightenment promotes stillness and calm; rule-breakers often gain at the expense of the well-behaved; some Buddhist and Taoist teachings feature interesting ideas about consciousness. His amiability is winning, and this meandering monologue offers space for contemplation on intriguing ideas; questions around AI and desire are provocative and there is a sweetness in the post-dramatic rejection of ostentatious theatricality. And there’s a tension between the traditional role of the performer as entertainer and Stewart’s insistence on avoiding emotional manipulation of the audience.
Asura: An Enlightenment Experiment, Zoo Southside, until 30 August, 5.55pm