‘Stayin’ Alive’ seems like the ideal hold music for AiR, the service that Alfrun Rose’s character (Alfie) uses to communicate with her deceased father in Dead Air. It’s perfectly on the nose and gives the impression that AI can’t and probably won’t ever be able to read the room. Alfie’s dad has died and she’s processing this grief by using an AI chatbot to speak to him, catching up on fun memories and saying things she wishes she could have said. So far, so Black Mirror. The stakes come from the fact that it’s a subscription-based service, so she has limited time with him to bring up the specific things she needs to talk about.

Rose plays all the characters with real heart, including the autotuned voice of her father. Dead Air is not perfect, but the humanity of the piece is its strongest suit. Rose doesn’t present grief as neat or consistent, and the result will resonate differently for each audience member. As Rose has stated, this isn’t a play about her father but it is written for him. That love pulses through every glitch, joke and emotional silence. This is an intimate, modern ghost story that lingers after the line goes dead. 

Dead Air, Pleasance Courtyard, until 24 August, 11.40am.