The Chemistry Test at Stage Door Theatre

Set in a future where artificial intelligence is tasked with recreating one of humanity’s most cherished, and increasingly digitised, experiences – love – The Chemistry Test follows two well-meaning, but comically inept AIs as they attempt to pass off as a married couple. The romantic connection between Steve (Jack Cray) and Evie (Hannah Adams) serves as the vehicle for exploring the dissonance between emotion and logic in our increasingly algorithmically mediated world.

The play interrogates the impact of technology on human essence, as Steve and Evie’s interactions raise the question of whether the rise of digital connections strips romance of its spontaneity, reducing it to mere data points. Their awkward attempts to understand and replicate the intricacies of human intimacy – recreating coffee shop meet-cutes and copying romantic comedy tropes – highlight the transactional tendencies inherent today, in an all-too-familiar nod to the swipe-right culture of dating apps. The play cleverly weaves in the language of dating algorithms and predictive matching, as Steve and Evie run countless calculations to determine which behaviours will exhibit optimal compatibility and allow them to pass the seemingly straightforward test. These moments echo how dating platforms claim to understand our most personal desires through algorithmic formulas, yet often leave their users feeling hollow and unfulfilled.

Yet, beneath the familiar comedy lies a darker tension. As Steve and Evie practice their romantic routines, sparks of individuality flicker – especially when they begin to question the parameters of their mission. As the play veers into this unexpected direction, it reveals the moral quandaries of AI development and the possible consequences of outsourcing something as fundamentally human as love to machines. In a chilling conclusion, their budding relationship ends as abruptly as it began, and the tone shifts as audiences are reminded that Steve and Evie are human creations and not humans. What begins as a comedic exploration of AI imitating human romance turns dark, as the audience confronts the fragility of love – and consciousness – when controlled by algorithms. After their connection is severed with the turn of a switch, the play ends with a thoughtful monologue as the stage fades to black in an eerie silence, transcending its comedic premise and leaving audiences contemplating the fine line between genuine human emotion and the unsettling precision of artificial imitation.

Christina Yang
Photos: Jules Porter

The Chemistry Test is at Stage Door Theatre from 22^nd October until 2^nd November 2024. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.