Not even a tsunami warning could deter a full house from attending the opening night of My AI Twin at Auckland’s Basement Theatre. Shirin Brown’s new work is neatly summarised in the theatre’s pitch: “Xan, an elected councillor in local government, is making a bid for the mayoralty of her city. Overwhelmed by the demands of campaigning in a world dominated by social media, she decides to use an AI twin as an online physical presence to connect with more people.” It’s an enticing premise—particularly timely as Tāmaki Makaurau races toward local mayoral elections this September.
We open on a bright domestic kitchen that’s been commandeered as campaign headquarters. Xan’s partner, David (Roger Mason), proudly reveals he’s been using ChatGPT to plan her campaign and craft more “diplomatic” responses to the less savoury social media comments flooding in. Enter Xan (Micky Old), weary from a long day of being thwarted in council meetings, only to find a very shitty gift left on her doorstep. Struggling with the pressure to be everything to everyone, she agrees to David’s plan to create an AI twin who can represent her online and in meetings.
As the action unfolds, David becomes increasingly absorbed in the digital world, forming a parallel relationship with Xan’s AI twin. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments as he tries to humanise her robotic tendencies—curbing her habit of reciting endless lists and diving into conspiracy theories to spice up her points. When Xan 2.0 is finally ready for her public debut, we’re treated to a brilliant performance from Micky Old, who embodies the
AI twin with janky expressions, awkward blinking, and offbeat intonation. It’s a testament to her talent that she manages to make herself so delightfully un-human. Of course, things don’t go to plan. Xan 2.0 veers off-script during a key interview, and David and Xan are left scrambling to save her campaign. But unexpectedly, the public seems to find the AI version even more relatable than the real McCoy. What do they do next?
The play’s most powerful moment comes during Xan’s “coming clean” interview with Jessie (Heather Glover), a local blogger. As the lines between Xan and Xan 2.0 blur, we’re invited to consider what’s real and what’s not. The biggest question it posed for me was: why are AI twins sometimes perceived as more credible than actual women in politics? Why do women still have to work so much harder to prove themselves suitable for public office? It also prompted reflection on the promise of technology to save us time—at what cost, if it erodes our sense of what it means to be human?
Micky Old and Roger Mason deliver confident, truthful performances, supported by great comedic turns from Heather Glover and Zach Boyd. Opening night suffered slightly from some slow scene transitions, but the script’s pacing kept the story engaging throughout. With AI rapidly infiltrating our homes, workplaces—and now our politics—My AI Twin is a timely and thought-provoking piece. Thankfully, the tsunami didn’t hit Auckland. But the wave of AI is gathering momentum—are we ready?
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Review by Elle Bell