Networks

M is the most useful assistant you will ever meet. He’ll organise your diary, your new job, even your sex life. There’s just one catch: once M enters your life, he never leaves. And he wants to know absolutely everything about you. M is the smartphone we all carry in our pockets: an object that lets the world’s biggest companies track our every move and make billions from our data; an object we spend more and more time on, often even more than with those closest to us. In 2026, for young professionals like Lucy and Sam, it’s the price of living. But their parents, Joe and DeeDee, have had enough of this dubious bargain. They decide to confront the influence of modern technology and forge a surprising path of their own. Jeff James says: “When I first read Kate Atwell’s witty and biting satire about our toxic relationship with smartphones, what makes it so powerful is that the play says plainly what we all feel but don’t dare say out loud. We’re becoming increasingly dependent on these technologies, and they demand an ever-higher price. With dark comedy and the precision of a scalpel, Kate’s play analyses how we live today. I’m delighted to bring this timely and very witty production to Valmiera for its European premiere.”