Unfinished Revolutions: Exploring the living legacy of 1776

ROBOTA
Artwork by studio DOUG

ROBOTA

A Headlong and Schwarzman Centre Production
3 Jul 2026 - 18 Jul 2026
3 Jul 2026
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18 Jul 2026

A creation story for the end of time.

In 1920, playwright Karel Čapek imagined a world of A.I. and rebellion, inspiring and influencing a century of sci-fi cinema. 100 years later, Headlong reawakens his visionary play R.U.R. as ROBOTA – high-voltage theatre for the age of artificial intelligence.

In a not-too-distant future the Rossum Corporation has done the impossible: created machines indistinguishable from humans. Built to serve, programmed to obey and ready to be rolled out worldwide.

But when idealistic activist Helen gets involved, these perfect workers begin to dream of freedom and the system starts to glitch. As the line between human and machine blurs, how do we hold on to our humanity?

Blending origin story with sci-fi, myth with machine, this is a smart, timely and often funny look at what it means to truly be alive. Following Headlong's “fascinating” (Financial Times) reinvention of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, this is an intriguing new take on a Czech classic.

More about ROBOTA

Written by Ella Road (Black Mirror/Dr Who) this adaptation takes Capek’s prescient text and fuses it with cutting edge academic research and a wickedly dark sense of humour. 

Directed by Roy Alexander Weise (The Hot Wing King at the National Theatre, Much Ado About Nothing at The RSC) and designed by Loren Elstein , ROBOTA offers a provocative glimpse into the future. 

The show will be the first fullscale production in the Schwarzman Centre’s theatre with a bold new take on the play that gave us the word “robot.”

ROBOTA collides theatre, Sci-Fi, and philosophy in a thrilling exploration of power, progress and what really makes us human.

 

Bold and original storytelling

The Stage

Credits

Creative Team

ROBOTA

by Ella Road, adapted from “Rossum’s Universal Robots” by Karel Čapek

Writer - Ella Road
Director - Roy Alexander Weise
Set & Costume Designer - Loren Elstein 
Composers & Sound Designers - Dan Balfour & Max Perryment
Lighting Designer - Sally Ferguson
Movement Director - Sarita Piotrowski 
Fight Director - Haruka Kuroda 
Associate Director - Tramaine Trace
Costume Supervisor - Sophea Liles Bailey
Props Supervisor - Anna Snow 
Dramaturg - Frank Peschier 
Casting Director - Becky Paris CDG 
Company Stage Manager - Joni Carter
Deputy Stage Manager - Robyn-Amber Manners
Assistant Stage Manager - Shuyin Wang

Read more about the ROBOTA Writer & Director

Artwork by studio DOUG

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