Words: Clare Roberts 

4 Stars 

I took a lie detector in a room full of strangers and I had no idea what kind of question would come next. 

Made by Counterpilot in association with Cluster Arts, this technically impressive show isn’t something you watch. It’s a performance art which thrives on risk and intimacy. After testing the dials, microphones, and taking turns to answer different questions, someone is chosen to be strapped to a polygraph (if they consent) and the atmosphere shifts from nervous excitement to thrilling apprehension. 

What unfolds next is an immersive interrogation that’s equal parts social experiment and theatrical game about communication. Despite the risky premise, the experience did feel safe. The more risqué questions were mostly there for comedy. Whether you tell the truth or not is your choice. But they can tell what percentage of deceitfulness in your answers are. I was even told that I could pass on questions but I didn’t, because where would be the fun in that? The real tension comes from hearing your own heartbeat broadcast to strangers through our headphones and seeing its rhythm reflected in the colourful lamp next to me. 

The two performers running the piece are exceptional caretakers of the room, guiding the experience with precision, humour, and warmth. By the end, my interrogator offers me a hug I didn’t realise I needed. This is daring work, especially as other audience members sometimes heard different audio cues to me, creating a fractured, multi-perspective story. I would do it again. 

Truthmachine 
Studio at C Arts – C Venues – C Alto 
Various times 
7 – 30 Aug (not 17-18, 24-25)