Produced by Counterpilot
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Performance Dates and Times
Wed 9 and Thurs 10: 6:30 PM, 7:15 PM and 8:00 PM
Fri 11 Oct: 6:30 PM, 7:15 PM, 8:00 PM, 8:45 PM and 9:30 PM
Sat 12 and Sun 13 Oct: 5:45 PM, 6:30 PM, 7:15 PM, 8:00 PM and 8:45 PM
Truthmachine Q&A - Free
Sat 12 Oct: 4:00 PM
REGISTER FOR Q&A
Prices
Adult - $25
Concession/Student - $20
Group 4 - $80
Companion - Free
Show Description
Would you take a lie detector test with a room full of strangers?
From the team that brought you Not A Cult*, Truthmachine is the multi-award winning new social experiment from techno-trouble makers, Counterpilot. Using real biometric sensors and live voting systems, Truthmachine seeks out truth in a world of fake news and alternative facts.
The polygraph machine used to be regarded as a legal instrument, but today we think we can cheat. Let's see if your heart rate can lie as effectively as our leaders can. Blurring the line between cutting edge technology and live performance, Truthmachine is an intimate, playful and intriguing theatre experience for adventurous audiences.
2024 NAFA Review
Truthmachine is an immersive, fringe experience that plunges participants into a gripping 30- minute interrogation fueled by a polygraph machine. The aim? To determine if a selected, consenting subject—in this case, a bloke named Ryan—can bluff the lie detector while the audience (acting as the "jury") must sift through his responses, separating truth from lies.
Set against the eerie glow of expertly timed lighting and an atmospheric soundscape, Truthmachine feels like something straight out of George Orwell's 1984. The experience is both confronting and humorous, weaving tension and levity together as participants are invited to engage with the technical props. From watching and hearing the polygraph provide its analysis
of every answer to hearing the host pepper the subject with questions, the audience is fully immersed in the act of uncovering truth. Despite the intense premise, the show often leans into humour, offering comic relief in otherwise tense moments. It is a thrilling, psychological trip that challenges your instincts while keeping you on the edge of your seat.
Truthmachine stands out as a Fringe experience like no other at this year’s NAFA. Its clever use of technology, sharp interrogation structure, and dystopian undertones make it both unsettling and entertaining—a must-see for fans of immersive theatre looking for something daring and original.
- Andrew Snee
General Show Information
MA15+ | 30 Minutes | Curated
Acknowledgments
Metro Arts is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. Metro Arts and Truthmachine are supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, part of the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy. Truthmachine was originally produced by Metro Arts.
Accessibility
Please check our website here for details.
Presented by North Australian Festival of Arts