Viral culture has taken over how we communicate, interact, share and present ourselves.

By definition, something that is “viral” spreads copies of itself or mutates other objects to become more like itself.  The play examines the role of social media and technology and how it impacts the way we record, communicate and think about incidents of racism, abuse and violence in our community.

It investigates the line between disassociation and raising awareness about such events, asking the question “is it better to record these activities and post it on the Internet or step in and stop it from occurring in the first place”? Viral fuses physical theatre, verbatim style text, AV projections and political theatre as it looks at the role of the “bystander” in the modern age and the effects of living in an overly litigious society where everyone has access to a recording device that can broadcast every interaction to the entire World. Viral also explores desensitization, responsibility and the role of social media.

Viral is an example of Shock Therapy Productions signature style of doing as much as possible with as little as possible.

Viral was inspired by true events.

2016 Matilda Award for Best Independent Production
Produced Internationally by Akershus Teater, Norway
Published by Playlab